MLPFiM: The Dark Side
by Lord Xaos
Summary: Based on Sgt. Sprinkles' story "Cupcakes", Pinkie Pie had a dream that really disturbed her.  She immediately checks up on her friend Rainbow Dash upon waking up.  Despite Rainbow still being in one piece something is still terribly wrong...
1. Chapter 1: The Nightmare Lives

Legal stuff: This work of fiction is based on My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Characters by Hasbro, the story "Cupcakes" by Sgt. Sprinkles, an Alternate Ending to "Cupcakes" by Pacce, and also some "Rocket to Insanity" by Scherzo, as well as elements of various other fanworks across the internet, and references to other copyrighted media that I am not going to try to numerate. I guess what I'm saying is: I'm an unoriginal whore.

Don't pay for this, oakie day?

**This story includes graphic scenes of Violence and Gore, and Mature themes of the Corruption, Betrayal, Torture, Entrapment, and Gambling with One's Very Soul. Reader discretion is advised. **

**That said, this story might not be all that it appears to be, and may in fact be beneficial for those who have had MLP:FiM or a certain Character from said show ruined by reading the "Cupcakes" Story. You might consider this story a "cure"…for the Cupcakes Blues as it were. So for those who do choose to read, I offer one word of advice:**

"No crying until the very end."

**With that, I am proud to present: **

**The Dark Side**

_by Lord Xaos_

_Chapter 1_

_"Ya know, Rainbow Dash, I'm disappointed. I thought you would have lasted longer. I really wanted to spend more time with you before we got here. But I guess it's my fault; I should have taken it a little slower. Oh well. It was really was nice knowing you, Dash!"_

_The blade sunk into the blue throat and worked its way up to Dash's chin. Coming back down, Pinkie's scalpel then circled Dash's neck. The last thing Rainbow Dash felt was her skin being cut away from her skull, and the metal of the blade scraping her teeth._

_Then she was gone._

Pinkie Pie awoke with a jolt. The entirety of her nightmare flashed through her mind. Pinkie grabbed for her lucky bucket and relived all her meals for the past two days. She then stumbled out of bed and headed for the stairs leading down to the shop proper. Then she stopped, thinking of all the sweet confectioneries below and her dream once more surged along with her stomach, so she instead opted to go out the window.

The sun had yet to come up, but there was just something she had to do. So she took an extending step ladder with her and made her way down the street. She set up the ladder beneath Rainbow Dash's cloud castle and proceeded up. Using the cloud walking technique Dash had taught her, she ran to the door and began banging on it in a panic.

The door opened revealing a yawning Rainbow Dash, "Pinkie Pie, its 4 in the morning! What are you," Rainbow Dash was cut off when Pinkie Pie suddenly leapt forward and hugged her tightly, sobbing all the way. "Pinkie, what's the matter?" Dash asked in equal mix of confusion and concern. Pinkie's only response was continued crying. After a few minutes she released Rainbow, only to start _spinning her around_. "Pinkie Pie, that's enough!" Rainbow Dash yelled out in frustration.

She immediately regretted it as Pinkie just cried harder and then finally spoke, "_I just...__needed to make sure you were all still there_."  
>Rainbow Dash couldn't help but smile. "Pinkie Pie, you are so <em>random<em>."

A few moments of silence passed, with Pinkie still crying, although she was returning the smile. Dash decided to ask "So, do you want to talk about what's the matter, or what?" Pinkie kept smiling, but she seemed a little sad at the question, and looked away...like she was ashamed of something. She replied "It's nothing. Just...could I stay with you for a while?" she hugged Rainbow again. "Sure."

And they stood there. Rainbow was patting Pinkie on her head for want of anything better to do. Rainbow Dash suddenly had the strangest sensation that Pinkie was slipping from her somehow. Before she could figure out what was happening, Pinkie's sleeping form fell through the ground, which was, after all, made up of clouds. The cloud walking technique only works for Earth Ponies if they stay awake enough to give the smallest amount of concentration on staying afloat! (And also only for the clouds in Equestria, as opposed to the 'wild' clouds of the Everfree forest and other lands outside Celestia's protection, but that was a less important detail for Rainbow Dash to worry about right at the moment.)

"Oh no...Pinkie Pie!" Rainbow Dash shot a hole through the cloud floor where Pinkie fell through, and descended with all the speed she could muster. Time seemed to slow to a crawl as she saw Pinkie falling there, a peaceful expression on her face. As she fell closer to the ground...her castle wasn't that far off...she'd land really soon but maybe she'd survive with just some minor injuries. So it might not be the end of the world...

_YEAH, RIGHT_! She was Rainbow Dash, and the only thing greater than her speed was the drive to never let her friends get hurt. _Ever_. Her descent wasn't quite a Sonic Rainboom, but it was still with qualities like a speeding bullet that Rainbow's hooves closed the distance and _wrapped_ around Pinkie's and pulled up, barely missing the ground. Rainbow landed to check up on Pinkie. She murmured..."...look, Dashie...I can flyyyy...zzzz." Honestly, Rainbow thought, this pony was going to be the death of her.

Rainbow flew Pinkie back to Sugarcube Corner, and noticed the window was open so wide that she could only guess that Pinkie left through it. "Pinkie, why didn't you use the door?" Pinkie just mumbled something about flying so high that she'd come out the ground.

* * *

><p>In Ponyville's treehouse library, Twilight Sparkle, who had been sleeping peacefully, started kicking her own bed furiously in her sleep for no apparent reason.<p>

* * *

><p>"Oh you silly pony...what would do without me?" Rainbow Dash whispered as she flew her friend back up to her bedroom. She tucked Pinkie Pie back in bed. As Rainbow left, Pinkie started to whimper in a small voice. "Are you kidding me? Pinkie...how <em>old<em> are you, anyway?" Rainbow grumbled exasperatedly at Pinkie. After looking around to be absolutely sure _nopony_ was watching, she kissed Pinkie's forehead, which called back the pink-on-pink mare's peaceful expression. Rainbow Dash smiled back at her and yawned. It was entirely too early for this nonsense.

Rainbow returned to her cloud castle, and stumbled towards the door. She was feeling really tired by now, and nearly fell through the hole in the clouds she made earlier to save Pinkie Pie. "So...random. Yawwwwn, I'll have to fix that in the morning." Rainbow flew inside her castle and crawled into bed. Well, that was a short little adventure. Why was her sleepy little town such a chaos magnet? "Oh well, I better get to sleep now before another parasprite swarm or alien invasion or whatever destroys Ponyville tomorrow morning. Or maybe zombies...yeah, zombies are cooler than aliens..." Shortly there after, Rainbow nodded off to sleep.

Meanwhile back in Pinkie's room, Pinkie Pie was sleeping peacefully. So very glad Dashie was okay and it was all just a dream. As she slept, most peculiar event was taking place. The shadows of the room twisted and everything became darker. If anypony was only awake to see it, it would be obvious that something very wrong was happening in Pinkie's room, although nothing in the tangible world would seem out of place. It would cause any awake pony to shake with a fear they couldn't explain, but nothing of meaning had even happened. A fear that up might be down, right might be wrong, dog and cats might live together, grown men might watch a cartoon about purty ponies! A fear that the worse possible thing might happen! That all logic just abandoned the universe. A fear that….that…..

"_Dreams might come true_?"

….who said that?

"_Oh, oops! I forgot I wasn't supposed to talk to the Narrator_."

….what kind of story IS this? …I must just be imagining things.

_Ahem-_

"_Get on with it, Mr. Pokey!_"

Right, sorry!

Pinkie's shadow moved without Pinkie. Pinkie shivered momentarily, but returned to her peaceful slumber shortly after her shadow freed itself completely. It crept out the window, and glided along the ground...towards Rainbow's castle. As it neared, it jumped from the ground to the clouds, and slithered over the hole and under the door. It went into Rainbow's bedroom, grew one, two, three, four, five, SIX wings, and floated above her on the wall, wearing a shadowy dress that flapped in the wind...  
>And then it <em><strong>sang<strong>_….

"_Well, here we are at last,_  
><em>You were always were a pleasure<em>  
><em>Are wondering why you're in a vice?<em>  
><em>Oh how we laughed and laughed<em>  
><em>Except...you're not laughing?<em>  
><em>What's the matter, Rainbow Dash?<em>  
><em>Am I not being so nice?<em>

_I need you for harvesting,_  
><em>That's what I'm planning on.<em>  
><em>Sorry your number came up,<em>  
><em>ooooh I'll feel sad when you're gone.<em>

_She was a lot like you,_  
><em>but you're not quite as heavy.<em>  
><em>I chopped up poor Gilda to feed to you.<em>  
><em>But then I burned her meat,<em>  
><em>and now she's gone forever.<em>  
><em>You will not follow suit,<em>  
><em>That much I will promise you!<em>

_I know this is quite shocking_  
><em>That's what I'm betting on.<em>  
><em>This is the end, my Dashie!<em>  
><em>Nopony will know you're gone<em>

_So long, my bestest friend,_  
><em>well, DUH! of course I meant you!<em>  
><em>That would be funny<em>  
><em>if it weren't so sad<em>  
><em>you cannot be replaced,<em>  
><em>but its too late for that now.<em>  
><em>when I go eat you, maybe<em>  
><em>I'll start feeling real glad!<em>

_You'll be baked into Cupcakes!_  
><em>That's what I'm planning on.<em>  
><em>I want you inside of me!<em>  
><em>Oh, I'll feel sad when you're gone<em>  
><em>Nopony will know you're gone<em>  
><em>Oh we will soon be as one...<em>"

The Shadow giggled playfully, as it peeled of the wall of the cloud room and approached Rainbow Dash, who had been shivering since partway through its song. It continued to giggle, but as it did so, the teeth in its mouth stretched and sharpened. It stood right above Rainbow's head, its mouth lowering to the level of Rainbow's ear, a black drop of shadowy saliva dripped off its tongue and splashed on Rainbow Dash's neck.

"Ah! Wha? Who's there!" Rainbow shot up with a jerk, cold sweat all over her body (although a droplet on her neck felt kind of warm as it drizzled down). Rainbow was so certain she felt someone else in the room, but upon scanning the room, she found darkness there, and nothing more. She was completely alone, as was normal, although this time she badly wanted somebody close to her. She was feeling some new kind of fear she couldn't name, and that was the worse kind.

She gradually coaxed herself to lay back down, telling her fretful mind she was just imagining things...

_She_ _hoped_.

She did have the strangest question on her mind as she lay there. "Why _DO _they call it a hacksaw, anyway?"

Despite her efforts Rainbow still wasn't able to get to sleep. She worried at every little sound. Also, her peaceful little house _made from clouds_, was making little sounds. It wasn't like she had floorboards or machinery or anything. That could not be a good sign.

"Come on, Rainbow Dash. It's…not even a nightmare really. It's just a feeling. You don't want the other girls to laugh at you, do you? You're still living down admitting your fear of dragons after Pinkie Pie surprised you that one time!"

This was true. Although it had been several weeks since the confrontation with the Dragon (which ended with Fluttershy convincing the giant lizard Rainbow just kicked in the jaw to leave peacefully), Rainbow was still jumpy at any loud noises she didn't recognize. While her friends had long since stopped laughing, it was still embarrassing when she noticed the knowing glances between the others.

Somehow, she figured the guilt was a big factor of it. When she was still recovering from her poorly thought out attack, she opened her eyes only to see a _huge, gigantic, terrifying, enormous, whatever-it-all-was-that-Fluttershy-said, could-eat-a-pony-in-one-bite, totally all-grown_ _up dragon_ emerging from the cave, and she realized. She was so used to competing and winning, Humility didn't kick in to tell her "_Oh, right. I'm a tasty little herbivore and there's a whole food chain above me, with this dragon I've annoyed pretty much sitting at the top of it all._" until after she had just doomed herself, along with her friends. Some Element of Loyalty she was. Now that primal fear had caught up with her, the shock was enormous! Actually, she was kind of proud of herself in retrospect for kicking such an invincible foe. It would be some serious "tell your grandchildren" kind of stuff, if they weren't all about to die.

But then Auntie Fluttershy surprised everyone and told off the mean ole dragon to stop bullying little baby Rainbow Dash and her friends, and in defiance of all common sense, _it worked_. Her brain just couldn't wrap around that, which was why she was so sure Pinkie Pie's impression really was the dragon come back! And even though Fluttershy was still the quiet, easily startled pony that was verifiably frightened of her own shadow (seriously though, what's a shadow supposed to do, _eat you_?), Rainbow couldn't help but think they found it funnier, _cuter_, when she got scared by something herself, just because Fluttershy's constant squeaking and panicking was what, OLD? It wasn't fair.

_Now I'm scared of…hacksaws, I guess. I can't let anypony know about this…_

Rainbow sat in her bed and searched through her mind for what to do. She just couldn't sleep. She could go to Pinkie's…she had no right to laugh, she had just woken up Rainbow to cry about over her own nightmare. No. It's because she was so troubled by…whatever she was troubled about that Rainbow couldn't stand to bother her. Not when she would've traded anything to.

Rainbow had an idea….and swallowed. "Well. I guess I could do that. It would've saved me a trip back home if I did it in the first place."  
>Rainbow got out of Bed, walked out the door, fell through the hole in front of the door, barely caught herself, broke down laughing hysterically because it must've been the funniest joke in the world to have all that tension DESTROYED over something so stupid, and flew to Sugarcube Corner.<br>Rainbow flew in through the window into Pinkie's room. She looked around, and saw a bunch of overturned covers sitting on the far side of the bed, where she guessed Pinkie Pie was. This didn't seem to really present a problem. Her body was built to stand a wide range of temperatures; she didn't really need the blankets. Or as she herself would put it: "Whatever. Pegasuses don't get cold."

* * *

><p>"PEGAS<strong>I<strong>!" Rarity chirped in her sleep, startling her cat Opalescence.

* * *

><p>Rainbow hadn't felt that awful presence ever since leaving her castle, and that was a load off her mind. She did feel kind of awkward just sharing a bed with her friend uninvited like this, but she was much too tired to think about it anymore. So she carefully snuck into bed, and she just…lay…still…<p>

...

Rainbow was being jostled by someone. She didn't want to get up. "Come on, just five more minutes, mom…" She was jostled again, more violently this time, and this frightened her. Nopony ever shook her awake quite like that in her life, it reminded her for one terrible moment of the... _unsafeness_ she felt in her own house the night before. "AH!" Rainbow shouted as she flailed and rolled out one to the floor face first with a thud. "Owww…" She shot back up to find herself looking into the apprehensive looking face of Mrs. Cake, owner of the Sugarcube Corner.  
>Rainbow found herself strangely relieved by the fact that Mrs. Cake was not handling a hacksaw, a knife, a scalpel, a syringe, or for that matter, a fully grown dragon. Despite that, something was clearly very wrong.<p>

"Oh, I'm so sorry for startling you, deary, but I have to ask you. Where's Pinkie Pie?" Mrs. Caked asked. "I wasn't scared!" Rainbow retorted before pointing to the bed to indicate the overturned covers "and besides, Pinkie's right there, isn't she?" Mrs. Cake looked at Rainbow with some unreadable expression. "No deary..." Mrs. Cake unraveled the covers to reveal nothing. "We only found you."

Rainbow Dash just gaped. "She didn't leave a note or anything, you're our only lead. Deary, if you know anything, please tell us!" Mr. Cake also chimed in "Do you have any idea where she could've gone?" Dash didn't know what to say. Pinkie was sleeping so soundly, what could've even woken her up AND possessed her to leave in the short time window of time Dash was gone?

_Pinkie Pie...where are you?_


	2. Chapter 2: Calm before the storm

**The Dark Side**

_A My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Fanfic_

Chapter 2

"She wasn't even here?" Rainbow Dash asked Mrs. Cake. It had been a rough morning for Rainbow Dash, she had snuck into Pinkie Pie's room to sleep with her, because a terrible foreboding prevented her from sleeping in her Cloud Palace, and now she just learned from Mrs. Cake that Pinkie Pie had gone missing inexplicably. The kindly older mare nodded. Rainbow felt disorienting confusion, and lent words to the feeling. "But…I saw her last night! She woke me up at 4 o' Clock, sad about something she wouldn't talk about." Mrs. Cake spoke up, an idea clicking in her head. "Do you think she was….was saying goodbye to you deary?" Rainbow shook her head. "It couldn't be! Even if it was, she fell asleep…nearly killed herself by doing so, actually…and I brought her back home."

Mrs. Cake tried to take this all in. "So, was that when you decided to sleep in her bed? She snuck out without bothering you?" Rainbow rigorously shook her head. "No, I went back to my house briefly and…." Rainbow didn't want to admit she got scared for no apparent reason. "…I couldn't get back to sleep. …there was a…draft." Rainbow lied. "So I decided to sleep over with Pinkie. All I saw was that lump of sheets in the bed, thought that was Pinkie, and I just carefully got in bed, not disturbing Pinkie at all. All the covers were exactly as they were before you unfolded them just now… Its almost impossible she snuck out of the bed without changing the sheets a little." Mrs. Cake wore a skeptical look about something near the end of Rainbow's story, but didn't seem to find it important enough to press her right now.

"So in about an hour's time, she woke back up, and left before you got back?" Mrs. Cake repeated. "You said she was sad about something. Do you have ANY idea what it could've been?"

Rainbow thought for a moment. "Well…she did say something strange. When she first woke me up she was just standing there, crying and hugged me. Then she started examining me all over, and I got mad, not knowing what was going through that filly's mind. Oh yeah! She said …she 'had to make sure I was still all there.'" Rainbow looked down. "She wouldn't tell me anything more than that, really. She seemed…I don't know…scared to talk about it. She just held on to me and fell asleep afterwards. She didn't seem troubled when she fell asleep this time." Rainbow suddenly realized she needed some information. "It was 5:30 or so when I came back, what time is it right now?"

Mrs. Cake pointed to the clock in Pinkie's room, which was a small alarm clock with bells fashioned after spotted toadstools (and it was all, of course, Pink). The hands read 8:30. "Its been three hours deary, but we don't know where she could've gone."

A knock came from the door, and a yellow Stallion which Rainbow Dash recognized as Mr. Cake walked in. "Excuse me, hun. But I just want you to know that Pinkie Pie couldn't have used the door. It was locked this morning and all our keys are still inside, so she couldn't have locked the door behind her. She apparently took a step ladder, and length of rope which was outside the shop, from the utility closet. Anything new?"

Mrs. Cake told her husband "Well, Pinkie's friend here tells me that she saw Pinkie an hour before she spent the night here, but that Pinkie was already gone when she came back to the Corner." Mr. Cake took a second to absorb this. "Wait, what were you girls doing so late at night?"

Rainbow ignored him and instead asked "Pinkie used window? Again? She left the window open and probably used the first ladder, which I kind of left at my place (Sorry), to climb down. I know she's Pinkie Pie and she does weird stuff all the time, but why didn't she want to go out the door? What's down on the first floor?"

"Just sweets and party favors, really. Most of them owned or made by Pinkie herself." Mr. Cake chimed in.

"Actually," Mrs. Cake spoke up "I found Pinkie's bucket in the bathroom. It had been washed, but it still smells like vomit. Maybe she got sick?"

_That's odd…why would Pinkie be afraid of SWEETS of all things? She's scarfed down so many cupcakes that it's a miracle she isn't toothless like_….SNAP!

Rainbow jumped from the noise, and then looked at her tail, which felt like somepony-er, _gator_ was pulling on it. _Sigh…like Gummy._

"Gummy!" squeaked Mrs. Cake. "Bad Alligator!" She admonished the tiny mindless reptile.

"Its okay, he just surprised me. No teeth, remember?" Rainbow shook her tail until Gummy slipped off. "Wait, if Pinkie Pie was running away and not coming back…why wouldn't she take Gummy with her? He's her pet." Rainbow Dash noted, then thought.

Pinkie had refused to go downstairs to leave the building, twice. She had thrown up for some reason. There was nothing but sweets downstairs. She most likely had a disturbing nightmare last night that involved Dash don't being "all there", whatever that meant.

And, she hadn't packed anything for her second trip, not even her pet.

Okay, so that last one didn't really fit the others, but Rainbow could see a clear connection between Sweets and her nightmare. Maybe she dreamt she baked up a giant killer cupcake and it went around town eating ponies, starting with Rainbow Dash?

* * *

><p><em> "RAR! Thank you, mistress, for giving me life!" Cupcakezilla roared! "Now, I'll get revenge on all of Ponykind for devouring my cupcake brethren! Now we'll see who eats who around here!"<em>

_ "No! Don't eat the ponies! They're my friends! I promise I won't eat another Cupcake again, just don't hurt anypony!" Pinkie pleaded._

_ "What? *YOU* ATE CUPCAKES! I was going to spare your friends out of respect, Mistress, but now you must be taught a lesson! Let's see how you like it when I eat your friends, starting with your fellow prankster!"_

_ And then Cupecakezilla pounced on Rainbow Dash, who happened to just be standing there._

_ "OM NOM NOM NOM"_

_ "Pinkie Pie! Help me! Oh no, its chewing me up with its peppermint teeth! Ow! ARG! What __**possessed**__ you to give a giant cupcake PEPPERMINT TEETH? Why, Pinkie Pie, whyyyyyyyy…"_

_ Cupcakezilla slurped up Dash's rainbow tail and belched, releasing a single sky blue feather, that floated down to earth so gently you could swear a sappy power ballad was playing in the background._

_ "Dashie! NOOOOOOOOO!"_

* * *

><p>"Deary, I don't find anything about this situation funny at all. Why are you chuckling?" Mrs. Cake said, looking at Dash with a worried expression.<p>

Dash managed to stifle her snickering. "I'm sorry, I tried putting the pieces together and just thought of something stupid." Rainbow cleared her throat. "Actually, I think her nightmare might be important, and it has something to do with Sweets. Try getting in contact with Twilight, Mr. and Mrs. Cake, I can't sit around any more. I'm going to look for Pinkie Pie on my own!"

"Deary, wait!" Mrs. Cake called out, but the eager young Pegasus had already flown out the window. This was how it should be. She wasn't Rainbow Dash: Ace Investigator. She was a doer. Pinkie had been gone for 4 hours at the most, she couldn't have gone too far.

* * *

><p>Twilight Sparkle couldn't help but notice how perfect the morning was going. The young purple Unicorn had gotten up early to a gorgeous morning Sun, courtesy of her <em>wonderful<em> mentor, Princess Celestia. Her assistant, Spike, had fixed her some delicious grass pancakes, topped with the freshest tasting dandelions she had had all year. She had just found a old book on magical charms that wasn't even in Canterlot's library! (She knew, she had memorized all the titles by category before, even if she hadn't read them all.) And best of all, she felt that today was going to be just as peaceful as yesterday. Sure, a Return visit by Nightmare Moon or a Zombie apocalypse was probably forthcoming tomorrow-actually scratch that. _Aliens_. Aliens are cooler than Zombies- but for now she let herself get swallowed up in the prospect of having a perfectly stress-free day. Ahhhh…

"Man, today is so boring! I've never felt so annoyed not to have any chores left to do!" Spike groaned. The young dragon had been lounging on the stairs for the past ten minutes or so. "I wish something exciting would happen like it usually does! Ponyville is like, Fun Central, normally!" Twilight rolled her eyes. "Spike, you should learn to appreciate peaceful days like these. How'd you even get by in Canterlot, when everyday was as peaceful as this one?" Spike sat and thought for a moment. "Doughnut shop?"

Before Twilight could respond, a Knock came from the door. She heard Mrs. Cake's voice. "Twilight? Deary? Pinkie Pie's gone missing. We need your help."

Twilight groaned. Spike fist pumped the air, shouting "Yes!" Twilight admonished her baby Dragon "This isn't a game, Spike. For all we know, Pinkie could be in serious trouble..."

"I know, I know…" Spike said, still with that gleam in his eye. She went to the door, and greeted her guest. "Hello Mrs. Cake, please tell me what happened."

"Well, it started when we noticed Pinkie hadn't come down yet, so we went upstairs…"

* * *

><p>Pinkie Pie ran through the Everfree forest, bounding over vines and dodging low branches, desperately chasing after her prey. She couldn't let it get away, even if she had yet to understand how the escape had happened…it shouldn't be possible! She bounded over a thicket her quarry had disappeared into, and was relieved to see she had easily caught sight of her target again. She didn't bother with reason, that would just be a waste of energy. The prey was hers. All hers. She wasn't going to just let it get away because it broke a few laws of common sense to escape.<p>

She had to catch the equine form fleeing from her…even though she was aware she was going deeper and deeper into this dangerous forest. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea…. Oh wait! There it is! "You're mine now!" Pinkie cried with ferocity as she pounced! Victory was hers!

"grrr….." The manticore growled. Pinkie's ears drooped, as she realized she had ambushed the wrong shadowy figure. "Eheh…oopsie?" She walked backwards, away from the snarling monster.

* * *

><p>Rainbow Dash, who had decided to investigate the worse possible scenario first, was in the area above the forest when she heard a scream, it sounded like Pinkie's! "Hold on, Pinkie! I'm coming!" The scream sounded so terrified, she hoped she was not too late.<p> 


	3. Chapter 3: Shadows and Nightmares, pt 1

**The Dark Side**

A My Little Pony Fanfic

Chapter 3

It was not quite dawn when it returned from Rainbow Dash's abode. Pinkie Pie's Shadow hovered above her body. It stared at its stupid host, the host whose actions it was always doomed to mimic…the host it was always doomed to follow…the host it would always, always obey.

Until tonight that was. With a single motion, it descended towards the sleeping Pinkie Pie, and with a single outstretched hoof, it reached out for her head and touched it. Pinkie became to squirm in her sleep immediately.

Pinkie was having a nice dream about racing Rainbow Dash with her new Pegasus wings. Rainbow had lost for about the 3rd time now, and was really fuming at Pinkie. Pinkie had meant to say "Sorry Dashie, I know you like being number one and all, but I can't stop myself once I start flying!" But instead, she said "Sorry Dashie, but _your number has come up._ I made you number one, I thought you'd like that."

Rainbow Dash wasn't stomping on a cloud in frustration anymore, she was strapped to a board in Pinkie's basement. The dark, blood-stained party room filled with pony parts replaced the wide open sunny sky where they were a second ago. She took a cart with medical tools and various blades closer to Rainbow. Rainbow started pleading with her, and Pinkie started pleading with herself. "Stop…don't hurt Dashie…DON'T HURT DASHIE!" But as soon as she thought it, time seemed to skip and she already had scalpel in her hand! An unholy laugh filled the room.

It was her…but it wasn't her….she was repulsed and dismayed….yet she felt a smile on her face, she was grinning from ear to ear… SHE DIDN'T WANT TO SEE THIS ALL AGAIN!...the scalpel neared her helpless friend, her arm moved as if possessed. Rainbow was crying. _enoughenoughEnoughEnough_. The scalpel just started to break into her friend's squirming flesh.

"ENOUGH!" Pinkie screamed, jumping back awake. She didn't need her lucky bucket this time, the dream had ended sooner than last time. Pinkie barely had time to contemplate what had just happened as she couldn't believe the sight in front of her. A shadow was flying all over the room. Mocking her.

Pinkie gasped as the shadow darted across the ceiling and walls of the room. Something was in there with her! Pinkie watched in silence -she never was one to scare easily- as tried to make since of what she was seeing. She felt bold and decided to try something.

Pinkie stuck her lower jaw out in front of her upper lip, giving herself a toothy under bite and she grunted like a gorilla. The shadow stopped moving and Pinkie decided to keep going. She stuck her tongue out, stretched her face out, and made gibberish noises. The shadow imitated her, and she realized that it looked like the shadow of an earth pony. One with a very familiar tail and mane. What's that? It was pointing to the wall facing away from the window. She didn't see anything strange-WHHAAAIAIAEEE!

"My Shadow's gone!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed. Her new 'friend' pointed to itself. Pinkie looked at the light she should be obstructing on the wall, then looked back at the shadow, then looked back at the wall, then back at the shadow. Sadly, the mare standing in front of the window did not cast a shadow, but if Pinkie stopped goofing around, the plot would've made some headway by now.

"I'm on a horse." Pinkie stated out of nowhere. "Wait, no I'm not…I _am_ a horse. Er, pony."

The shadow slapped its nonexistent face with its hoof. Then helpfully flew over to Pinkie and stretched from her hooves to cover the wall, mimicking Pinkie's movements perfectly. Pinkie blinked. "Ooooh..._there_'s my shadow!" The shadow then flew away from Pinkie and kept under the window the leave the house. "Hey, wait! Shadow!" Pinkie opened the window and saw that the shadow had reached the ground level already and that she didn't have a ladder. She began to run downstairs but the thought of the sweets made her queasy, so she ran into the utility closet and took some rope instead.

She had a lot of ground to catch up, but she could still see her shadow up ahead, under the light of the full moon, which wasn't obstructed by many clouds. "I owe you one, Luna!" Pinkie cheered as she chased after her shadow.

Pinkie didn't know how she was going to catch her shadow, or if she should. She'd just have to sew it back on like Pony Pan! Actually, Pinkie had no idea how that was supposed to work, but she didn't really have time to think about it. She could catch up to it, but each time the wily shadow twisted and dodged and flew off in another direction.

And four and a half hours later, in the heart of the dangerous EverFree forest, Pinkie had mistaken her runaway shadow for a vicious manticore

Pinkie screamed and ran away, the manticore in hot pursuit. Pinkie ran and ran, daring not to look back, and completely obvious that something speed across the ground, its unnatural visage catching the Manticore by surprise and forcing the beast to retreat.

* * *

><p>Rainbow Dash, who had heard Pinkie Pie's scream only moments ago, saw a section of the forest rustling, and flew towards it, hoping she would find her friend before it was too late. Out of the rustling trees came...a terrible manticore! Running for its life? Rainbow didn't understand, and for a moment forgot about Pinkie Pie. The manticore hadn't even noticed her, but it saw her shadow and just barely stopped short of, fear in its eyes, as if the shadow of a Pegasus was the most horrifying thing in the world, and it ran in another direction, away from Rainbow, but different from where it originally came.<p>

"Weird." Rainbow said to the trees. She then remembered why she was out in the forest to begin with. "Oh wait, Pinkie Pie!" Rainbow flew in the direction the manticore came from, hoping that that would be where she'd find her friend.

* * *

><p>Pinkie had eventually convinced herself to stop and listen to her surroundings. The manticore wasn't coming. She had escaped. She stopped to catch her breath, when suddenly, there it was! Her shadow! Gliding across the forest floor, it flew completely separate from her body, all on its own accord. As it zipped past her, Pinkie gave chase once again. "Wait! Shadow! Come back here!"<p>

While running, her stomach growled noisily as if in protest. Pinkie had to admit she was awfully hungry and tired. She hadn't eaten anything ever since getting up and she threw up all the food she had before. But…what could she do? How do you catch your Shadow? Her stomach growled again.

Actually, she didn't even know when she entered the Everfree forest exactly, and she nearly got killed by a manticore. Maybe she should just give up and…HOLY LUNA HER SHADOW JUST SHOT BY HER YET AGAIN! Pinkie Pie gave chase once more, throwing all cautious thoughts out the window.

* * *

><p>Twilight Sparkle stood outside her library, and looked around at her friends. "Alright. It seems that we are all here." Applejack looked around for anypony other than Twilight and Fluttershy. "Um, Twi? No we ain't. There's only three of us here. I know Pinkie is the one who's gone missing, but where's Rarity and Rainbow Dash?"<p>

The Purple Unicorn signed. "Rainbow did what she does. She's already out there looking for Pinkie herself. Rarity's parents are out of town and left her with Sweetie Bell again, so she's arranging for her sister to stay at a neighbor's house. But that will take a while, so she'll met back up with me in a little bit. We put this off for too long. So, here's where we are going to start searching-" The Yellow Pegasus rose her hoof. "…Yes, Fluttershy?" Twilight asked her friend.

"Oh, I'm sorry for interrupting. Its just um…did Mrs. Cake tell you anything that might be the reason behind Pinkie's disappearance? If we knew what she might be doing, that might narrow down the search." Twilight shook her head. "That's a very good point, Fluttershy, but we don't have anything to go on. Just that she had a nightmare and that it was about Rainbow, which is why she woke Rainbow up." Fluttershy "And then Rainbow sleep over at Pinkie's house right? But then…Pinkie snuck out of bed and just left Rainbow there? Even if she were in a rush, I can't imagine the reason for her not to wake Rainbow. Especially since she already woke her up earlier that night."

Applejack curled her nose. "What I don't get is since when can an Earth Pony like Pinkie Pie walk on clouds without magic?" Fluttershy spoke up. "Oh! I can answer that one! Griffons and other non-pegasus fliers can not sleep on clouds like Pegasi can, which is why even if I just took care of birds, I'd still have to live in a cottage on the ground to house my injured animal friends. But, they can walk on clouds using a trick they have to be awake to use, and Gilda taught that technique to Rainbow, who, after a certain incident where Pinkie Pie fell out of her flying contraption and through a particularly cloudy sky, taught it to Pinkie."

Applejack looked a little confused "And she didn't teach it to me?" Fluttershy just stared at Applejack. "Well…Pinkie actually goes up into the sky more often than you do with those weird machines of hers, Applejack. Maybe Rainbow thought you wouldn't need it since you'd have no way to get up to OR down from any of the clouds."

"I'm sorry, this is very interesting and all, but we need to focus. To answer your question from before, Fluttershy, Mrs. Cake didn't really elaborate on any of the details concerning Rainbow. Just that Rainbow explained the bit about Pinkie's nightmare and then she took off really quickly after learning what happened to Pinkie. Now, if we begin our search by-" A cry of "I'm here! I'm here, everypony! I haven't missed the briefing, have I?" caused Twilight's body to seize up and her eye to twitch.

A white Unicorn with a dark blue mane and curly tail ran up to the three. "No, Rairty." Twilight said with strained Patience. "We were just about to start. How's Sweetie Bell?" Rarity started. "Well, Plan A hit a bit of a snag, and I had to find someone else to promise to pick up Sweetie Bell from school. I hope you don't mind, Applejack, but Big Macintosh offered to have the Cutie Mark Crusaders sleepover at Apple Acres."

Applejack shook her head "That's fine. Glad you could make it Rarity."

Twilight cleared her throat. "Okay, wonderful. Here's the short version of what we're going to do. Rarity can accompany me to Zecora's, since Rainbow Dash flew into the Everfree Forest, and we'll need Zecora's help tracking HER down. Fluttershy and Applejack, you will be searching…"

* * *

><p>Rainbow Dash was having a terrible time tracking Pinkie Pie down. She was initially encouraged that her plan to retrace the manticore's steps had in fact lead to fresh hoof prints in the dirt, running in the opposite direction. But thanks to the uneven and unpredictable terrain of the Everfree Forest, the trail quickly vanished under a carpet of shrubbery. Some of the plants were still trampled, and there were hoofprints in between the plants, but Rainbow couldn't make out those details without at least going on foot and paying more attention to detail than she was used to.<p>

Judging from the manticore's reaction to Rainbow Dash -no, wait, her _shadow_- Rainbow figured that Pinkie most've had the good fortune to find the most cowardly monster in the entire Everfree forest. Heck, after the last one turned out to just have a thorn in its paw, and made friends with Fluttershy, Rainbow had to say that her total experience being properly horrified by manticores was lacking. It wasn't like they were giant Dragons. or Cupcakezilla.

Bah, now the forest was getting darker. "Wasn't it, oh I don't know, DAY, a minute ago? Argh! I'll never find Pinkie like this!" With not much more to do, Rainbow called out at the top of her lungs "PINKIIIIEE! PINKIE, are you out there!" It was useless. She needed someone who was good at tracking…someone that knew the Everfree…someone like…

"Hold, my pegasus friend! To continue wonder into the Darkest Grove will certainly mean your end!" A voice called out to her. Rainbow heard trotting and turned around to see none other than Zecora, the Zebra herbalist that lived in the forest, and until her reputation was cleared recently, was feared by all in Ponyville.

"Zecora! Just the Zebra I was looking for! Listen, Pinkie Pie is lost in these woods, and I know she's somewhere around here, but I can't find her tracks!" Rainbow summarized. "I need your help finding her!"

Zecora looked to the ground. "This is most ill news, indeed. If Pinkie Pie came this way, she is close to the entrance of a place of terrible danger! Show me where you last picked up her tracks, and follow my lead!"

"Whoaaaaa!" Pinkie came to a screeching halt, and landed face first in the dirt. She looked around for any sign of her shadow, when she noticed it was back under her. "Did I win?" Pinkie asked her shadow. The shadow just looked back at her…at least she thought it did, its hard to tell because shadows don't have eyes.

* * *

><p>Pinkie Pie lifted her hoof. Her shadow mimicked the motion flawlessly. She craned her head. So did her shadow. After all that time chasing it, it actually felt weird to have it back, copying her like nothing had happened. "Hey! Quit copying me! Why don't you do something original, you silly shadow?" The shadow went through the same motions. "Ugh. What a lameo." Pinkie said, in her best Gilda impression. She giggled with delight, promising herself to never take her own shadow from granted again. Pinkie was just about to do some flips and shadow puppetry next, when her stomach growled again, and she noticed that she really, REALLY needed some food. And water. That shouldn't be too hard. She just had to go back to….Ponyville?<p>

Oh right. She was lost in the Everfree forest. Actually, this wasn't such a good place for Shadow Puppetry, it was too dark. The forest canopy was especially thick here, and seemed to be growing thicker by the second. And what was with all this fog rolling in? She couldn't see her shadow anymore. "Oh no!" Pinkie looked to the ground, and yelled at it "You better still be down there next time when I get some light!"

Pinkie was feeling a little scared, but she couldn't fight her hunger anymore. She went over to a section of the grove that hadn't been overtaken by fog yet, where some grass had grown.

Pinkie wasn't used to eating grass completely raw, without any salt or anything. Oh well. At least it didn't taste sweet. Her stomach turned a little bit again at the thought of cupcakes, and she focused on foraging for food. Would she ever be able to eat anything sweet again? Or even just look at anything sweet again? That dream of hers….it was so vivid. It felt so real. And then she had it AGAIN. Pinkie heard of recurring dreams, but twice in one night? She thought that when she saw Dashie was okay, she could relax a little bit, but…

She put the thoughts of the dream from her mind, and looked for something else to think about. Actually…the grass was kind of moist, which made her less thirsty. So that was a plus.

"That's it Pinkie, keep thinking positive like that." Looking around, Pinkie found that some of the leaves had dew in them…or was that condensed mist? Pinkie drank from a leaf with a loud SLURRRP!

"Ah! ….that actually isn't nearly as good as the water in Ponyville. I should work on getting….home?" Pinkie's eyes grew to the size of dinner plates.

Standing there, in the middle of the dark grove, was Sugarcube Corner.

* * *

><p>Back in Ponyville, Fluttershy got spooked by something dark appearing at her feet, and retreated into the bushes. Applejack sighed exasperatedly. "Fluttershy, darling, I think it's about time we had a talk about this. You need to stop jumping at every little thing. That was just your shadow. Again." Fluttershy stepped out of the bushes, looking down. "B-but Applejack, I was sure it was trying to eat me!" Applejack stared at Fluttershy. "I know it sounds dumb…but…oh, I can't describe it, it's just a feeling I get sometimes, like I'm being watched. A-and followed. And it's gotten worse lately."<p>

Applejack brushed against Fluttershy. "Sugar cube. I think its just stress." Fluttershy nodded. "Although," Applejack started to add. "Twilight said that there was some kind of nightmare Pinkie had last night, and this morning she disappeared. How recently has it been since your willies been getting 'worse?'" Fluttershy blinked, and giggled. "Applejack, I really don't think these two things could be related….could they?"

"You're probably right." Applejack admitted. And the two continued searching for their friend, completely unaware that both of their shadows exchanged a completely invisible knowing glance with non-existent eyes.


	4. Chapter 4: Shadows and Nightmares, pt 2

**The Dark Side**

A my Little Pony fanfic

Chapter 4

Deep in the Everfree Forest, Zecora had taken Rainbow Dash back to her hut, to fetch a reference book and some notes, and began her explanation of the nature of "the Darkest Grove", where Pinkie Pie's track had to lead to. The Sky-blue Pegasus looked around the Zebra's hut. The masks still creeped her out. They were all so menacing, even though Zecora had said they all were supposed to mean peaceful greetings. Rainbow could understand cultural differences and misunderstandings, after all, she nearly saw a war break out in Appleloosa between the earth ponies and the buffalo, and she gotten to sympathize the Buffalo's side of the conflict. But she still couldn't help but notice how much it seemed the masks were scowling- wait, was this one actually smiling at her?

"Awww… This one is actually kind of happy-looking." Rainbow said, holding the mask she just found. Zecora frowned. "You should put that one back on the wall before it breaks. It's the oldest, and when a Zebra's nightmares began in the Darkest Grove, it would make violent shakes." Rainbow returned the mask, looking at the Medicine Zebra with a skeptical expression.

"Long ago, my ancestor came to Equestria as a stranger, to save the life of a sickened friend whose life was in danger. The cure used to grow near an accursed grove that she herself burned down, and legend spoke of another one, right outside your Pony town. These groves enchant your shade, so that you may face your demons and your heart may be weighed. To Own Your Shadow would grant you great spiritual power as well as the redemption any sin. But not even a tenth as many come out as the number that goes in. And among many of those that returned, friends and loved ones cheer, ignorant that the hero actually lost until their homes have burned."

Rainbow Dash couldn't quite take all that in. "Could you, um,…fast forward to the part that tells me about Pinkie Pie?"

"…..your friend has entered a magical grove where she can't leave. This Grove, like the one that used be in Zebrica, shall call forth a creature's own weaknesses and failings, or so they used to believe. But the heart is treacherous above all things, and the purest soul finds themselves tormented by the worst demons, so those seeking an absolution find only destruction instead." Zecora said. Rainbow gaped at Zecora's seriousness….also something else was bothering her.

"Aren't you going to rhyme that?"

"The fact that you worry over something so trivial in this dire situation, fills me with terrible dread." Zecora concluded Rainbow blinked, not really sure that was actually on purpose or not. "Right! Pinkie Pie is in trouble! Point me in the direction of that grove, Zecora!" Rainbow flapped her wings and started to lift off the ground. "I'm going in-whoa!" Zecora bit Rainbow's tail and pulled her back down to earth, and gave her a look that seemed to say '_Didn't you hear anything I just said?_'

Which Rainbow Dash noted ALSO rhymed.

"Lost Time is important, yes, but not quite the most dangerous thing!

To save Pinkie Pie and yourself, there are secrets you must learn first!

To go there knowing nothing the Challenge, or Darkness' Bane

You will only serve to make things worse."

* * *

><p>There, in the middle of the misty forest was Sugarcube Corner, illuminated by what must've been the only shaft of light that pierced the thick canopy of the forest.<p>

Pinkie sat there, her mouth gaping open. It couldn't be. Still, curiosity overtook her. She walked up to the shop. And then remembered.

Sweets. If this was in fact the Sugarcube Corner, then one step inside the door would assault her nostrils with the smell of sweets. Once so heavenly, they now called back memories of Pinkie's hoof guiding a scalpel to chop off a bit of Dash's flank to 'sample' her meat with the intention of later adding it to cupcakes, like so many other ponies before her. And then Dash regained consciousness from the electrocution she had received earlier and Pinkie had tried to feed Dashie a bit of her own stop. Stop. _STOP!STOP!STOPTHINKINGABOUTIT! GET IT OUT OF MY HEAD! STOP REMEMBERING THESE HORRIBLE THINGS!_

It took all of 30 seconds for the images to subside, and although Pinkie Pie managed not to cry, she was still shaking and breathing heavily. She looked for the window she had exited out of. The window was closed. There was no ladder. And no rope. Indeed, the only entrance into the shop was through the front door.

And then Pinkie Pie made an intelligent decision.

Pinkie turned right around and spoke aloud "Well, as much fun as it would be to explore this creepy copy version of Sugarcube Corner and puke my guts out at whatever horrors await inside –nightmarish or just sugary-" Pinkie's eye twitched nervously, "I think I'll just go try to find my way out of this forest. I trust Nopony will object. Wait." Pinkie stopped. Something was bothering her knee.

"Hmm…Pinchy-pincha-pincha-pinch." Pinkie Sense. Normally a Pinchy knee meant something scary was about to happen, but just then she felt a combo coming on.

Pinkie's ears flopped.

Then her eyes fluttered

Then her knees were twitchy…no they were pinchy….no twitchy….this was confus-

The Door flung open behind Pinkie Pie "SURPRISE!" the resident of the bakery bounded out the door, as well as an explosion of confetti. Pinkie was caught completely off guard and helpless as the door hit her right on the nose, disorienting her long enough for a filly her exact age and height to drag her inside.

Pinkie's Knee kept pinching….so violently they were starting to hurt.

* * *

><p>Rainbow Dash sighed in frustration. This whole memorization thing Zecora was having her do was getting monotonous. "Zecora, why can't you just come with me? You obviously know everything about this place"<p>

"I already told you once before. The blessing my village's Shaman gave to me at birth to protect me from the nightmares of the destroyed Grove, also prevent me from stepping into yours. The disaster becomes more terrible as the more ponies follow after her, so to send one instead of many is what I would much prefer. If anyone is going to save your Pinkie Pie, there must be one chosen rescuer, and it cannot be I."

"Fine! I get it! I'm the only one who can save Pinkie Pie from a horrible nightmare place! ….You want me to begin again, don't you?." Zecora nodded. Rainbow sighed.

"_Light may enter the grove of shadow's throne, _

_and seek its Ultimate Nemesis_

_Light may witness secrets unknown, _

_and challenge like Shaharone,_

_The darkness that within the heart has grown, _

_to save a mortal's heart from its lethal Kiss."_

Rainbow meant to ask Zecora what this strange poem meant, but she was so anxious right now, that even thinking about this stupid thing only served to annoy her more.

Zecora looked straight into Rainbow Dash's eyes. "I am satisfied. Beware when you invoking the challenge of Shaharone! There will be a contest of vindication, and to lose is for the darkness to win control of your very bones." Rainbow's eyes widened "WHAT? Then why'd you make me memorize such a dangerous thing?" Zecora looked sad. "Escaping depends on seeing through the illusions the Grove begets….and also on leaving while not having any regrets. Winning the Challenge will allow you the certainty of escape. It allows you to pick a contest, but one where both contestants can reasonably expect to achieve not just victory, but vindication. However, you should only try to use it when you are truly in poor shape."

Rainbow tried to take all this in. "Why would I ever regret leaving a death trap? Ugh, never mind. So…how do I escape the normal way?" Zecora just looked at Rainbow. "Don't regret leaving. Otherwise, it's a matter of not trusting everything you believe you are perceiving."

Rainbow Dash scratched her mane with her fore hoof. She was about to ask Zecora to explain when suddenly a noise startled her!

RAP-TAP-TAP-TAP-TAP! …TAP TAP TAP TAP!** BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!**

Rainbow and Zecora looked around the hut, confused about the noise, when a mighty CRASH came from the wall!

The Smiling Mask had fallen. And it was still jumping around. Rainbow gaped at it…and then her eyes grew in realization. Zecora held up a hoof.

"WAIT! THERE IS MORE-"

But it was too late.

Rainbow was already out the door, flying straight for the Darkest Grove.

* * *

><p>Back at the "Mysterycube Corner", The strange pony spun Pinkie around in a frenzied dance and sang a very familiar song:<p>

"_Pinkie is my bestest friend! Whoopie! Whoopie!_

_The cutest, pinkest, all around best pony! Pony!_

_I bet if I throw her a super-duper fun party! Party!_

_She'll introduce her wonderful-tasting friends to meeeee!"_

Pinkie Pie missed that last lyric, as she was too disoriented with the visuals. Specifically, the identity of the singer caught her off guard.

"Y-you're me!" Pinkie exclaimed! Indeed, it was true. Another Pinkie Pie was dancing around the interior of the bakery, which had been drawn up in steamers and all the usual party favors, although there didn't seem to be any other ponies around except them. "Shh…I'm about to start the remixed portion." The other Pinkie said.

"_Pinkie is my bestest friend! Whoopie! Whoopie! The cutest, pinkest, all around best pony! Pony!_

_Pinkie is my bestest friend! Whoopie Whoopie! My bestest friend! Whoopie! Whoopie Whoopie!"_

The other Pinkie did not so much dance as pounce at Pinkie from a new direction for each stanza. Except for each time she said "Whoopie", which was punctuated by a hop. There was a lot of hopping.

Some part of Pinkie's force of habit kind of wanted to join in the song. She never thought about singing it that way…_NO! Focus Pinkie Pie! The others are always telling you to take things more seriously, and something is very wrong with this picture._ (Although it did help that she was tired from running, and had eaten absolutely nothing sugary that morning, so she wasn't bustling with energy right at the moment. Also her knee was still Pinchy, meaning something scary was still about to happen.) _Come on, Pinkie…how would a smart, serious pony like Twilight handle this situation?_

"Pinkie…." The confused Pinkie said, trying to get the singing Pinkie's attention.

The other Pinkie bounced on top of a giant circus ball, which she made roll backwards by walking on it, and continued her singing

"_Rainbow is my funnest friend! Whoopie! Whoopie!_

_The coolest, fastest, all around prettiest pony! Pony_!"

_Although don't anypony tell Rarity! Rarity!_"

"PINKIIIIIEEE!" Pinkie Pie cried out in frustration, causing the Other Pinkie to fall off her ball in surprise with a "Whoa!"

She literally bounced back, however. "Aw…but she is the prettiest. Everywhere she goes she makes a rainbow happen! She's even how we got our cutie mark. And even when she's a mess, her mane is still colorful!" the other Pinkie said happily, leaning on Pinkie Pie.

The Disgruntled Pinkie slinked under the Jovial one's hooves and backed away. "How are there two of me? And…" Pinkie gulped. "Are you a good Pinkie or a bad Pinkie? I'm sorry, but the smell of the cupcakes is really getting to me and I kind of need to know now that they don't have dead pony organs in them."

The Jovial Pinkie convulsed. "What? Ew! Why would you even think that?"

_Take THAT, rambunctious mystery clone who can still enjoy the taste of sugar without vomiting! _Pinkie thought to herself with some strange sense of satisfaction that she at least threw this mystery Pinkie off balance, even if her stomach was still slowly churning.

"It's a nightmare I had last night…it was terrible, and I'm kind of afraid of sweets now. And ever since I got up, I've been chasing my runaway shadow and meeting other me's and all kinds of weird stuff has been happening. So, you promise these are perfectly fine?"

The convulsing Pinkie stopped for a moment and looked at her with a worried face. "Oh wow, I had no idea. But, it was just a dream. You can't let something as silly as a dream ruin something as wonderful as cupcakes for you!"

"I still need to hear it…and where you came from."

"Uh, DUH! Mom, plus Dad. And also Mr. Stork!" The Jovial Pinkie noticed the Disgruntled one was still staring at her. "Oh, and um….there are absolutely no pony organs of any sort in there. Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye."

Pinkie started to say something, but with much exuberance, the other Pinkie reared up and put her hooves on of Pinkie's rump, and in a move similar to a Pony Conga dance, she pushed Pinkie forward, steering her into the Kitchen. "Come on, you silly filly! I'll show you there's nothing to worry about at all! I already have cupcakes made and everything!"

The Jovial Pinkie bounced on her hooves over to the tray of cupcakes, and grabbed one for the Nervous Pinkie to try. "Here! You'll feel so much better after you have one!" Pinke had to think fast. "You know, I'm not really that hun-" Pinkie's stomach growled, apparently not satisfied with the grass and dew. _SHUT UP, YOU TRAITOR! Nothing good could possibly be here! Weren't you twisting yourself in knots just a second ago?_ The other Pinkie giggled. "What was that you were saying?" Pinkie, finally face to face with a cupcake, began to think maybe it was just a stupid dream. Okay, something very weird is happened with the other me and the other Sugarcube corner, but maybe if she could just eat one, she could start to get over her dream. The other Pinkie did Pinkie Pie promise, after all…

Wait…her dream! In the dream, she had tricked Rainbow Dash into eating a cupcake, which was drugged…and that's how she was able to strap down Dashie while she was unconscious. The less detail said about what came next the better… But more importantly, Pinkie had something to do.

"If there's nothing wrong with these cupcakes…why don't you, say, _try_ one?" Pinkie tossed the cupcake back to the other Pinkie. "Don't might if I do!" And the other Pinkie ate it noisily. Both Pinkies waited a few seconds in silence, and the one who at the cupcake completely failed to faint. "Satisfied? Go on…try one yourself. Its awfully rude to ask all these things of a hostess, you know. But I'm trying to be sympathetic because you had a nightmare that really scared you."

Pinkie thought for a moment…"I…." she smacked her lips, unable to finish that sentence. Actually, her mouth had gotten dry over the past few moments. "Oh, thirsty? Hear, drink this!" And Pinkie was handed a cup of punch. Pinkie drank the punch absent mindedly, starting to wonder if she wasn't being unfair to the other Pinkie.

No…she had one last test to do before she could let her guar- "WAAAAHH!" Pinkie was startled at what she saw, and reared back so far she tripped backwards, dropping her cup as she went. She had seen the most frightening, predatory grin on the other Pinkie's face. Pinkie was pretty sure she didn't need to test the other Pinkie anymore. Why wasn't she hiding her intentions anymore?

She had to get away! But she couldn't move her body very fast, and she felt so sleepy... Pinkie fell to the floor and looked at her dropped Punch cup. She felt she should curse, or berate, or click her hooves saying "there's no place like home, there's no place like home…" But as she used the last of her strength to look up, all she could manage was a small, helpless whimper and shed a single tear at the sight she saw.

The last thing Pinkie saw before fading into oblivion was the other Pinkie stepping towards her, grinning with an awful expression of playful malice. And she salivated, like a cat that just cornered a legless mouse.

* * *

><p>A Rainbow blur shot through the Everfree forest, heading into its darkest section. "Hold on, Pinkie! I'm coming for you! Just hold on, help is on the-AUGH!" Rainbow Dash yelled as something grabbed her tail.<p>

Honestly, this was it! As if Applejack doing it all the time wasn't annoying enough, the first thing, the VERY FIRST THING she was doing when she got back to Ponyville was cutting her tail short. "Zecora, not now! We are out of time for details! We need…" Rainbow turned her head around and noticed her assailant was NOT Zecora. Her ears flattened, and all bravado melted off her face. "Ac…tion?"

"Grrr…." It was the manticore from before, he was here to be rescued from the Scrappy heap.

Rainbow's tail was trapped under his claw…but not her back hooves. So she rolled on her side and KICKED on the manticore's toes with both of her back legs and the manticore roared in pain as he removed his claw, presenting Rainbow with a chance to escape! Rainbow just barely got into the air before the manticore's other front claw stabbed the ground where was just a second ago.

"HA! See you later, sucker!" Rainbow gloated, hoving high above the manticore. The manticore crouched and started to flap his own dragon-like wings. "Oh. Right." Rainbow grinned. She dodged in mid-air as an orange blur shot past her from the ground. The manticore had joined her in the sky.

* * *

><p>When Pinkie Pie regained consciousness, she couldn't quite figure out where she was. She couldn't see anything, although she was sure her eyes where open. She tried to move her hooves, but noticed they were shackled. Judging from the position of her body, she had to be bound to some kind of flat surface. "Is this a bed? It's awfully uncomfortable…" Pinkie blurted out before she could stop herself.<p>

Far too late, she realized where she was, and why she probably shouldn't have spoken yet, if only so it would've given her more time to think. But she was greeted by a flash of blinding light.

Under the light a single lamp that was shining directly into her face, Pinkie saw a pony gleaming at her, the pony's face (and all of the room behind her) covered in shadows from the contrast of the light. "Oh, goodie! You're awake! That means we can start now!"

And the world exploded in light. The lamp was no longer shining in her face, but Pinkie took a moment blinking to get all the spots out of her eyes. The other Pinkie had gone to fetch something, so she had time to adjust her vision.

It was like a scene from a nightmare. Probably because it WAS. Ripped straight from the dream where she tortured Dash was:

The Ballons made from Organs. The table and chairs made from heads of dead fillies wearing party hats made from their own skin. A banner with the words "Life is a Party!" written in blood.

And of course, she, Pinkie, was strapped to a plank, clearly the 'guest of honor.'

The other Pinkie came back with a cart covered with a white cloth.

Pinkie had a pretty good guess what was under that cloth. "Oh no...Please no."

The evil Pinkie winked at her and tore the sheet off the cart to reveal a tray full of sharpened medical tools and knives, as well as a large medical bag.

_Oh no. This is the part where she kills me!_

"Good afternoon, Pinkie! This is the part where I kill you!"


	5. Chp 5: The Part Where She Kills You, p1

**The Dark Side**

_A My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic fanfiction by Lord Xaos_

Chapter 5

Rainbow Dash stared up at the Manticore flying above her. Its fangs gleaming in Celestia's bright sun. Its tail whipped back and forth, and Rainbow remembered the first time she fought a Manticore…she had all five of her friends with there, most importantly Fluttershy. Was there no monster that filly couldn't cope with?

The Manticore dove down with all his claws outstretched, and Rainbow just barely dodged. The Manticore whacked her with his scorpion's tail, however. Rainbow rocketed towards the trees, breathless from all the air that was knocked out of her, but at least she wasn't stung by the tail...

Rainbow managed to recover and pull up, flapping her wings one more, winded though she was. She didn't know something so big could close a gap like that so fast. This thing needed her complete attention if she was to survive. _Focus, Dash! Its Action Time! _Rainbow chided herself. _Pinkie Pie…you better just hold on for just a moment longer..._

* * *

><p>Pinkie Pie, flooded with memories from her nightmare where she tortured her best friend Rainbow Dash, was staring at the spitting image of herself from the dream leering at her with a smile. And she was racking her pink little brain for anything that could prolong this period of time where she wasn't being skinned alive…even for just a moment longer.<p>

So, she skimmed over the room she was in, hoping a burst of inspiration.

She felt bad about thinking this, considering all the other ponies around, including poor little Twist, but she was so, SO glad there wasn't a stuffed Rainbow Dash in the room. No really…as bad as today has been so far with all the desecrated remains of other ponies, the prospect of finding THAT pony had terrified her the most, and she was certain the image of a stitched-up Rainbow Dash here among this party of the _damned_ would have destroyed her.

Speaking of the other ponies, the Other Pinkie was wearing THAT dress. Oh Luna! It was even worse than she remembered! It was made with dried pony skin, emblazed with cutie marks on different straps (Pinkie only now realized the Moon-shaped one at the front of the dress. Princess Luna! Oh. No, wait. its...similar but its much too skinny...maybe. Possibly. Its impossible she'd be able to get away with THAT particular crime. Right?), and decorated with six pegasi wings of a different color that bounced as she moved. Around her neck clanked her necklace of unicorn horns.

Pinkie thought for a moment. _Unicorns can still use magic even they are bound. Its not like you can tie up their horns! So, does that mean the first thing she had to do was saw off the horns of each Unicorn, or…okay, yeah, this train of thought isn't getting me anywhere. _She needed to escape, not work out the nuisances of Unicorn horn harvesting!

…_STOP IT!_ Pinkie had to mentally bark at herself to finally get her off the subject.

The first thing she had tried to do was wiggle free from her bonds. Not many ponies knew this, but Pinkie's joints were especially limber and oddly jointed, so she could break out of restraints other ponies couldn't. A few seconds of struggling against the braces that held her and an "Uh-uh-uh!" from the other Pinkie told her everything. Of course she have prepared for that. Pinkie was going nowhere. So now she was trying to find a way to stall.

In the back of her mind, she thought there might be some hope that her friends might rescue her or something, but realistically, it was just because not being skinned, crucified, electrocuted, dismembered with a hacksaw while the pony who did it wondered why they called it a hacksaw, and being numbed so you could stay awake for the **DISSECTION** at any given moment was something ponies generally strove for, even if they didn't have much hope...

_Wait, I've got it! _Pinkie thought. "LOOK BEHIND YOU!" The other Pinkie craned her head over her shoulder and looked behind her. She noticed nothing was there and turned back to Pinkie, who, after all, was still strapped in place. _That….okay, that was three seconds, what now? _Pinkie's mind went blank. _Ah, nuts._

"Ooooh. You're pranking me!" the other Pinkie said, her eyes sparking with realization. She giggled and turned to Pinkie with a smile. "I guess you really are me, after all. Pranking ponies to the very end!" The other Pinkie gleamed. "I mean, sure, its kind of weak, but I can respect that you are kind of…ahem…handicapped at the moment."

_I refuse to accept that I'm anything like you. And that wasn't a prank at all. Wait… _"That's it!"

The other Pinkie blinked again. "What's it?" She looked at Pinkie quizzically. The imprisoned mare knew there was something very important she had to ask her captor.

* * *

><p>Rainbow couldn't waste anymore time against this Manticore. "You want me, see if you can keep up, slowpoke!" Rainbow dived below the trees and flew as fast as she could towards the Darkest portion of the Forest. She could play with the Manticore later, she was determined to rescue Pinkie! Its not like dodging these trees was going to be hard or anything. Even if it was getting hard to see in all this darkn-<p>

"RRROOOOOOOAAAARRRR!" an earth shattering noise came from behind her. "DRAGON!" Rainbow cried, freezing in mid air and causing her to go careening down to earth. She landed on a section of the forest floor that was carpeted with vegetation, rolling as she landed.

She shot up, wondering if the dragon could see her before she shook her head. _ARGH! Rainbow Dash, you totally blew it! You already know it's the Manticore, and not the dragon! Its good that nopony saw that..._ The Manticore's silhouette flew by her in a blur, and another roar came from the direction where it disappeared.

Rainbow decided to stay put for just a moment longer, hiding in the overgrowth. The Manticore wasn't coming back, but just when she breathed a sigh of relief, she heard from behind a _hissssss…._

Rainbow turned around quickly and her dilated eyes saw only teeth…..

* * *

><p>Back at Zecora's hut, two unicorns were looking around the completely deserted inside. "Zecora?" Twilight called "Are you in here? We need your help looking for Rainbow Dash, and Pinkie Pie, too!" There was no answer. Rarity regarded the various masks and other artifacts with an air of disdain. "Really now, I never quite understood why Zecora has so many of these dreadful things hanging on her wall." Twilight sighed. "Rarity, we've been over this, they're from her home. They are probably sentimental or even sacred to her."<p>

Rarity huffed. "Yes, yes, I know. But Twilight, think about where she is. She's in the middle of a forest full of savage beasts! Forget how she avoids being killed by them when she's out looking for herbs, how does she, whenever she gets up in the middle of the night, avoid mistaking one of these gruesome things for a monster of some sort?"

"I mean, how IS she secure from nightly attacks from Chimeras or Manticores or"

"COCKATRICE!" Twilight sudden screamed and hid behind Rarity! She cowered. "No…don't turn me to stone again! It was so lonely as a statue. I felt the slugs slithering over my eye…."

Rarity looked quizzically at Twilight and then saw where she ran from. Indeed, there was a cockatrice. Not a mask or some kind of fetish of a cockatrice. It was a real cockatrice. But…something was wrong with it.

"It's okay, dear. Twilight, I don't think it can hurt you."

"Huh?"

"Its dead. Its been…." Rarity gulped. "Stuffed."

Indeed. What they beheld was the taxidermy of a cockatrice.

The White unicorn shook her head. "Really, now, THIS is what I'm talking about. How IS she supposed to tell a real cockatrice from this monstrosity?"

Twilight seemed to be recovering as they walked towards Zecora's bedroom, AWAY from the chicken-snake. "Well, I guess you kind of have a point. I'm sure we could ask Zecora herself about the cockatrice at lea-"

**BANG! BANG! BANG BANG! **

No sooner had they opened the door to Zecora's room that a loud banging sound had started to emit from within. Both unicorns jumped at the noise.

It was coming from a chest that was hopping up and down under Zecora's hammock. With a look at each other, Twilight and Rarity ran over and opened it to reveal…a mask with a demonic grin.

The Mask continued to bounce and pound against the chest. The ponies just looked at it.

"Z-zecora?" Twilight asked the mask uncertainly.

It would be another hour of precious time wasted before the two unicorns would get any answers as to what was happening…

* * *

><p>Pinkie Pie asked her captor the question she had failed to answer before. "How is any of this possible? You're me from my nightmare….the nightmare that's the reason I can't eat cupcakes anymore, but just a nightmare that shouldn't actually be real in any case! I mean, if I'm sure if Twilight was here, she'd just explode from all this unscientific…stuff! This has to be a dream."<p>

The other Pinkie had been fiddling with her sharp metal toys humming a song to herself, when that question seemed to strike a cord. She froze, and stopped singing. She looked up at Pinkie Pie, and smiled. A wide, toothy grin spread across her face, a gleam sparkled in her eye. "Well…I suppose the best way to put it is to say that we traded."

"Traded?" Pinkie asked.

"Yes, traded!" The other Pinkie stated.

"Traded what?" Honestly, between this doppelganger and her runaway shadow, Pinkie had experienced more annoyance than she had over her entire life. "Speak so I can understand you, why don't you!"

"We traded lives, silly! I dreamt I was you, and you dreamt you were me! Actually, we dreamed, then we went to each others' Ponyville for real! Its what the little bird told me!"

"Little bird? I didn't get any little birds!" Pinkie asked. "Oh, I cooked him in a pie!" the other Pinkie gleefully recounted. "Say! Do you want some pie?" she offered her captive. Pinkie wasted no time shaking her head no.

"Anyway, I knew exactly what I was going to do in your Ponyville! I paid Dashie a visit! Her number hadn't come up, but come on! It's another Dashie! I wasn't going to pass that up!" The other Pinkie looked up at her captive's face and giggled. "Oh, you can relax. I ran out of time before I poofed back home. She's kind of strapped to her bed, and a little shaken up, but I didn't get to really play with her very much, sadly."

Pinkie stammered. "Th-that's a lie! When I woke up to chase my shadow to this Sugarcube corner-which isn't near a Ponyville at all by the way- the closet was missing that same stepladder I used to check up on Dashie after I saw the dream of what YOU do with your time...that I don't remember the return trip from…wait…how'd I get back in my bed from there?"

"Huh?" The evil Pinkie had to stare at Pinkie for a moment. "Ooooh! Oh! Oh wow! That explains it! I woke in your world with Dashie hugging me…it was confusing, but it was where I wanted to go anyway. I happened to have brought along some harvesting supplies, and not just that, but _MY_ dream about being 'you' taught me that neat cloud-walking trick you know."

Pinkie gasped. She could see it. Dashie was being so gentle and comforting her one minute…and then, she turned into a sadistic monster. She would be totally helpless and unsuspecting. No…no..no…_Dashie, I'm so sorry!_

That moment last night was one of her happiest with Dashie.

She went there to make sure Dashie was okay…that she hadn't hurt her

And then, just when she saw that Dashie wasn't chopped up by a monster Pinkie-

She transformed into one. Oh Celestia. It was too much.

Pinkie sobbed a little before she was interrupted by a burning in her cheek

"My Dashie didn't share that trick with me! Boooooo!" the other Pinkie pinched Pinkie's cheek with the toes of her hoof and pulled forcefully. It wasn't as cute as it might sound, as she was quite forceful, causing Pinkie's face to ache. "Oh well…Anyway, you became a Pegasus in this world, or that's what I'm given to understand, and played with my Dashie for a while. And then our time ended and we returned to our respective bedrooms. At least, that's what happened to me. I was so disappointed."

_I Became a Pegasus? When did…"_Oh! Ooooh!" Pinkie's eyes lit up. She _flew! _She actually flew! It wasn't just a dream_!_ Then she remembered what the implications of this meant. "Oh."

"Oh well…now that I know your cloud trick, maybe I can just go straight to _my_ Dashie's house when her number comes up and finish what I started in your world. Its going to be. So. Much. Fun."

The captive Pinkie's eyes widened for a moment….and then narrowed.

* * *

><p>Rainbow Dash screamed and bucked the lower jaw of the oncoming Dragon, and ran into the forest, screaming all the way. It was back…whatever spell Fluttershy had cast on it had worn off! It was back to devour her and all her friends!<p>

It took her a moment to get her wings working again, or maybe she had simply forgotten she had them. She flew up above again, and hid in the branches of a tree, but looked back at the Dragon, wondering if it would follow her.

It was a Snake. A giant snake. It was still terrifying, but it couldn't reach her while she was flying, even when it rose its head up into the air. "Oh. Its not the dragon. Its just a snake….a giant snake with sharp teeth that flense like knives…such a wondrous bounty of nature the Everfree forest is." Rainbow chuckled nervously.

The serpent advanced towards her tree with frightening speed and started coiling around its trunk. The sky blue pegasus jumped into the air and flew above the forest canopy. Surely the snake couldn't follow her up here.

Still…she had to admit that she didn't want to retreat. Not anymore. She was angry at both these monsters for making a fool of her….and angry at herself. But there was no time for that. Pinkie pie had to be saved, she had to find the trail before she lo-

**THWACK!**

Rainbow crashed into the leaves of a nearby tree. It took her a moment to recover and look up at what had hit her….it was the Manticore. "Aaaaargh! Where were all these monsters before, when me and Zecora were trailing Pinkie?"

Rainbow unsteadily returned to the sky. She was sturdier than most Pegasi, but being hit AND crashing into a tree like was seriously causing her body to ache. She would have to finish this quickly and hopefully she could just stay above the ground to..._OHGEEZWHATISTHAT?_

Rainbow dodged an arch of strange liquid she didn't recognize, and looked down to find its source. Oh. Oh. OH. That stupid snake didn't just crawl up the tree to start spraying venom at her. This freaking forest was quickly starting resemble the Death Star from the Movie, "Pony Wars". If this kept up, Rainbow would have be saving Pinkie Pie from a trash compactor room with red-eyed tentacle monsters AND closing walls.

Well…unfortunately for her carnivorous friends, she just happened to have recently developed a new "proton torpedo" they could stick down their thermal exhaust ports.

* * *

><p>Pinkie Pie had long given up wondering if this encounter was a dream or not. By the sounds of it, she had a Rainbow Dash to save. <em>Even if she was technically helpless.<em>

"You hurt my Dashie…but now you're going to go after yours? Aren't you friends? Didn't you get your cutie mark from her Sonic Rainboom! Doesn't that Cutie mark represent your wish to spread the happiness you felt to everyone around you?"

"Happiness _is_ important…can't go without my daily dose of making ponies smile with the help of my delicious cupcake recipe!" the evil Pinkie grinned. The good one didn't return it. The Evil one didn't care and continued "You see...I really just want much more than just their smiles. I want to hear their shrieks, their screams, their reactions to pain and looks of broken hearted betrayal! And then…hehehe…" The psychotic mare bounced over to Pinkie Pie and _licked_ her face. "I wanna see what they _taste_ like. I suppose I could satisfy myself with just a nibble…but if I let them go, they'll go tattle and nopony will come to my parties so I might as well go and make neat little arts and crafts such as…oh, where was it again?" Dark Pinkie went searching for something in the back of the room.

"You aren't me. You aren't Pinkie Pie. Why…? **CAN SOMEPONY PLEASE TELL ME WHY YOUR CUTIE MARK DOESN'T JUST VANISH OFF YOUR FLANK! DON'T YOU DARE TOUCH A HAIR ON DASHIE'S MANE! EITHER OF TH-**omph mph!**" **Suddenly, a peppermint flavored cupcake was shoved into Pinkie's mouth. Pinkie couldn't quite stop her eyes from glancing over in little Twist's direction. Oh Celestia! Her nausea was coming back in force.

"I'm sorry, but I think I answered your question. Now its time to play a game I wanna play. You didn't forget, did you?" Dark Pinkie smirked. "I nearly lost control of the tone there, but well, I guess when you're talking to yourself, you have a lot to say. Well, hopefully that was nice and therapeutic. Still, we're burning daylight here!" Dark Pinkie went fishing through her cart, looking for something as Light Pinkie spat out the cupcake. "Now…I've actually set up something special for you. Its still a work in progress, don't judge me yet…" The evil Pinkie prattled on and on… but something had caught Pinkie's eye. Something that she couldn't believe she didn't notice until now….

Pinkie let out a terrific SHRIEK that actually caused the evil Pinkie to jump and nearly cut herself with a hacksaw that flew into the air and came crashing down to earth. Her captor turned around, her face full of fury, but she was confused to see Pinkie's cheeks bloat up before she vomited up mush that once was the grass she ate in the forest earlier…the mush was stained the purple color of the punch.

Pinkie continued crying at what she beheld. All her fighting spirit just broke as she saw it, along with something else. Something…irreplaceable.

"No….please, no…"

The Dark Pinkie looked around the room for whatever could have upset her captive so much. "Huh? Oh..ah! eeeeeeeeee! Oh no, I'm so embarrassed!" She just blushed like a school girl whose love letter had been discovered as the Light Pinkie wept and wept at the sight.


	6. Chp 6: The Part Where She Kills You, p2

**Repeat readers may notice a slight change in the Flashback segment. This is a result of me getting Pinkie's full name wrong. For those of you who are still wondering where I got "Floyd" from...well, let's just say Youtube and the browsing history can do some weird things to your subconscious...and leave it at that.  
><strong>

* * *

><p><strong>The Dark Side<strong>

_A My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic fanfiction by Lord Xaos_

_Chapter 6._

"You stay there!" Rainbow pointed her leg at the Snake, who politely responded with another geyser of venom. He clearly knew how to treat a lady.

Rainbow would show him. She looked up…and saw that the gray cloud she noticed before was still in the perfect position. This was the Everfree forest, she had to work quickly before the weather betrayed her. Hopefully it would be good enough for what she needed it for.

"Hey Ugly, I bet I can fly higher than you!" Rainbow taunted the manticore and spank her flank. "Yeah, you want a piece of me! Come and get it!" If she could just get the manticore to follow her, she'd be able to kill two birds with one stone.

The manticore took the bait. Rainbow flew straight for the storm cloud above her, confident she could reach it before the manticore reached her.

_Please don't rain, please don't rain, it will mess everything up if you choose this moment to release your water. _Rainbow flew and flew…and could feel the manticore approaching beneath her. She put everything she had into reaching the cloud….nothing mattered in the world but reaching the cloud.

Rainbow entered the stormcloud, but the manticore was right behind her. She barrel rolled out of the way and hid in the cloud to catch her breath. _How is something so big so good at ascending? Are you going soft on me, gravity? _Rainbow thought to herself. Then her stomach growled. _Oh. I suppose I should've gotten breakfast at the Cake's...or even Zecora's. Bah, I had a big dinner last night. I can do this._

The manticore, who was slightly wet from flying through a rain cloud, was a little light headed having flown so high up so quickly. It wondered where that tasty little herbivore went- and um….why was that cloud spinning?

A ribbon of Rainbow wrapped around and around the storm cloud, squeezing it, tearing it open, and releasing all its water into a giant a whirlpool in the air! The manticore covered itself as the cloud exploded with a thunderclap, but all that happened was that it's coat was soaked with a splash of rainwater! It was sprinkling out of the twister, where that Rainbow pony spun around its insides, maintaining the twister.

Dash was inside a steadily narrowing cone of water, flying around and around and wishing she had her goggles. But no time for that now. She had to take her twister down to the surface…straight down.

The giant snake couldn't believe what it was seeing. A storm cloud had suddenly become a great, glistening eye. What was it made off? Oh darn its colorblindness…

Wait, the eye was coming closer…and closer… In a panic, the Snake spat venom into it.

Rainbow was barrel rolling at the very bottom of the twister now, there was no room to maintain the twister, and she had to bring it down, anyway. Normally, when maintaining a twister, one pegasus lead of group, and those followers would spin around in formation to maintain the tornado wall. Rainbow had discovered this trick could work too. Although she was getting awfully light-headed…

_Come on, Red five! Stay on target….stay on target….._

The venom spray landed right in front of her, but Rainbow was protected by a wall of water! The venom sprays kept coming as she approached the snake…and her water wall was spinning itself dry. Some venom just barely landed on the last puddle of water that had began to spin away.

The Serpent readied itself for one more spray of venom…..

….when it suddenly was lifted off the ground and wrapped around Rainbow, trapped in the wind surrounding her!

Rainbow's spinning came to a sudden stop…as she pushed her hooves in opposite directions until they were perfectly outstretched. She tore the twister open and sent the snake flying off in a random direction.

Rainbow felt kind of sick. She was hungry, dizzy, nearly died twice over the course of less than a minute….but she won. Oh wait…the manticore had only halfway defeated. It was soaked, sure, but she had to find it before…

"ROAR!" The manitcore was coming up right behind Rainbow and she was thankful she thought to weigh its coat down with a few gallons of rainwater first.

Because if it weren't for that, Rainbow wouldn't have dodged in time as the manticore's jaw bit the air right where her belly was just a moment ago. Rainbow swerved past the manticore, but as she was flying away, the manticore's tail _whacked her again_!

Rainbow Dash was hurdling through the air once more, her rump burning from the blunt trauma. She heard from behind her the manticore heaving with a great sound from deep in its belly…it reminded her of the laugh she heard from one of the characters Sequel to Pony Wars. _Laugh it up, fuzzball! _Rainbow wanted to stop to rub her hindquarters, but she focused instead on turning this momentum into her final attack.

Rainbow flew as fast as she could. And then she did a wide U-turn in the air, losing as little speed as possible, and headed back towards the Manticore. It would be a long shot….but she was equal parts desperate and angry.

The Manticore was flying after Rainbow. He actually thought the pony had escaped him when she used the momentum of her own tail-spanking to help her fly even faster away from him. His coat was so heavy…that ambush just now was his last shot at her. She could've gotten away. But instead she was flying straight for him!

Like dogs and rabbits and hydras and certain other creatures of Equestria, manticores couldn't talk. But they weren't stupid either. This manticore was just thinking how tired he was of flying when inspiration struck him.

She was heading right for him. He was bigger than she was, and while it might sting a little bit, if she tackled him like it looked she was about to do, he could just hover in place and catch her with his claws.

In fact….he could just as easily curl his tail between his legs and sting her. Then the venom would paralyze her. Then, while she was nice and weak, he'd eat her. One bite at a time.

"You want a taste!" Rainbow cried to him as she increased her speed.

He did. He really did.

"DO YOU WANT A TASTE OF ME!" Rainbow sped up even more, the manticore was just hovering in place…..

Saliva was pouring down his chin.

"**THEN HERE!**" Rainbow Dash sped up as fast as she could possibly go. As fast as she had gone only twice before in her life.

Here she comes…wait, what's with the small tingles of electricity coming from her in places-

"**TASTE THE RAINBOW MOTHERFUCKER!" **The SONIC RAINBOOM tore through the air, as Rainbow Dash crashed into the manticore's gut. All the manticore knew was pain and nausea and confusion and Oh, by the Everfree, his stomach….he wasn't hungry anymore.

* * *

><p>All the residents of Ponyville were treated to an amazing sight. A Rainbow shockwave spread across the sky, over the Everfree forest. Nopony knew what to make of it.<p>

A local stallion had one thing to say about it, though. "That is the baddest fucking rainbow I have ever seen."

* * *

><p>It was the sheet. The white sheet the evil Pinkie used to cover her pushcart. It was white on the outside, but it was colorful on the inside. It had just been laying on the floor. Half of it was Blue with an emblem of Pink Cupcakes, and the other half of it was yellow with an emblem of square cakes topped with white icing.<p>

The sheet was made from two hides of pony leather sewn together. _Of course!_ Pinkie thought to herself. _They would've found the trophies…they would have caught her! They would never allow this to stand…they wouldn't allow you to continue using THEIR shop to murder and hide your victims...  
><em>

"Mr. and Mrs. Cake! Oh why….why…why…why...why?" Pinkie sobbed miserably.

Dark Pinkie decided to chime in at this point. "Nopony ever caught that before. I'm normally more careful with it. Yes…it is Mr. and Mrs. Cake. And we are together, all the time now!"

Pinkie's voice was breaking really badly, but she managed to ask "H-how c-c-c-could yoooou? I-it's M-mis *hiccup!* ter and M- *hiccup!* m-m-Mi-issus C-cake! D-don't you *hiccup!* l-love them? A-aren't th-th-they the r-reason *hiccup!* y-you're Pinkie P-p-pie?"

* * *

><p>Mr. and Mrs. Cake were two very important ponies in the life of Pinkamena Diane Pie. One day, when she was a little foal who had only recently gotten her cutie mark, Mama brought her to Ponyville. Pinkamena had been trying to lift the family's spirits, but mostly had been annoying everypony. Especially her sister, Octavia who was trying to practice Violin. Mama had to run a trip to town for a while and decided that Pinkamena needed to get away from the farm for a day. So, Twinkie Pinkie went to town met lots of new ponies and saw lots of new things….<p>

…And then Mama collapsed suddenly when the two of them were on an empty street. Pinkamena didn't know what to do. She called for help, and cried and cried, but nopony seemed to hear her…she felt so powerless. But then, there was Mr. Cake! Mr. Cake had been out to buy some more groceries for the bakery, but dropped everything when he found Pinkamena and her mother. He calmed Pinkamena down, got some other ponies together, and took Mama to the hospital.

Together with his wife, he waited with Pinkamena at the Hospital until she could visit Mama, invited her to sleep over at their house when they found out her family probably wouldn't get there until the next day, and eventually gave her a nickname, "Pinkie." (Actually, Pinkamena loved the nickname because it finally would clear up some confusion with the fillies and colts of Ponyville that she was not, in fact, the Cakes' daughter. But, Pinkie quickly added, she wouldn't mind being "Pinkie Cake." Mrs. Cake just gave her a strange smile and hugged her, saying "Pinkie Pie" rolled off the tongue better.)

They taught her to bake, held a few of younger Pinkie's birthday parties, babysat Pinkie Pie and her sisters a few times her family was in trouble. And then when she was older they not only gave her a job, but also let her live their house and use it to throw parties! They were even patient with her over her many, many, mistakes and impulsive decisions. They were the most wonderful adults Pinkie Pie had ever known, and she loved them like a second pair of parents. She owed them so much.

* * *

><p>And then (in this dimension at least), she skinned them and turned them into blanket used to hide her implements of unspeakable torture. So much for that.<p>

Dark Pinkie answered. "Why yes! I am Pinkie Pie! And that's why the blanket is actually very sentimental to me. Don't tell anyone, but at night, I take it off the cart and sleep with it. Ah! There, I said it!" Dark Pinkie hid her face in her hooves and squealed once again before returning to Pinkie. "I'd be lost without Mr. and Mrs. Cake by my side! Actually, whenever I worry about stuff or feel scared, its a wonderful security blanket...oh, why'd you have to find me out?" Dark Pinkie blushed.

Pinkie's body just kind of...twitched...in response.

"Anyway, don't feel sad. We spend every night together!" She smiled with what Pinkie disturbingly thought might be actual warmth. Dark Pinkie opened her eyes and suddenly switched to an expression of something like concern for her "guest." "Aw….you seem to have cried yourself out. It's not going to be very fun…Maybe I need to cheer you up before I start…"

Dark Pinkie screwed up her face in thought. "Hmm….OH! I've got it! Don't go anywhere…" She ran out of the room.

_Oh Celestia….what is she going to show me now?__  
><em>

Pinkie sobbed…staring at the blanket laying on the floor. She kind of wanted to touch the blanket herself…just to cry into it. Forever. "I'm sorry…I'm so, so sorry…I can't even bring her to justice. Mister and Missus Cake…Pinkie Pie is sorry!"

Suddenly Pinkie was face to face with….Mrs. Cake! It couldn't be! Or maybe it was _her_ Mrs. Cake? Here to rescue her? Pinkie couldn't figure it out at all.

"Are you doing that third person thing Trixie does now?" Mrs. Cake asked her, in the exact opposite tone she expected Mrs. Cake should be using to talk to her if Mrs. Cake found her tied up in a torture cellar. "You have a fever or something? You look like you've seen a ghost!" Mrs. Cake put a _pink_ hoof to her forehead. Pinkie also noted with a thrill of horror that Mrs. Cake was supposed to have pink eyes, as opposed to Dashie's rose colored eyes.

These were baby blue. Like…_hers_!

Mrs. Cake broke into a fit of hideous laughter. It was high and cruel…although it was a girlish giggling. "It's me!" Mrs. Cake said, before she _pulled her own face off_ to reveal Dark Pinkie's under it. Which is to say you, because you're me. But you aren't actually wearing the mask right now. Anyway…isn't it great? Its another sentimental item…it took so much work to get it right, but now I can wear it over my face, and look just like her! It's a shame that Mr. Cake's face got torn to pieces in the bender when I took him down." (Pinkie responded to that little insight by throwing up again) The Ponyhide Mask was even more horrifying without someone wearing it. Mrs. Cake's eye sockets were hollow and sagging. And also the top of her head was cut out to make room for Pinkie's real mane.

In hindsight, Pinkie should've remembered her own mane when she saw it. But then, she was too busy going crazy. Pinkie had only one mental defense left. "This is a dream! This is a dream…this is a dream….!"

"Aw…Okay…I guess I'll leave you alone for right now."

"there's no place like home….there's no place like-" Pinkie's ears perked up and her bloodshot eyes widened to their maximum size. "W-w-what!"

"Yeah…see…Its no fun if you've cried yourself out of energy. Maybe we'll try again later…"

Pinkie had to wonder if this was good thing or not. She wasn't entirely certain she wanted to live if she was just going to be tortured and die in the end anyway. Although…her mind had been blown so much…she felt so weak…she just wanted to…

"Aw...you're sleepy, aren't you. Here…why don't I sing you a lullaby?" Dark Pinkie asked.

Light Pinkie didn't answer. That would require energy.

If she hadn't gotten used to the feeling after suffering with it during the entirety of the conversation, she might've wondered why her knee _still_ felt pinchy…

* * *

><p>Rainbow Dash looked around frantically, trying to find some landmark. She seemed to have wound up on the other side of the forest from Ponyville. Maybe if she could figure out where Zecora's hut was...ARG! THIS WAS GOING TO WASTE SO MUCH TIME!<p>

Suddenly, she heard the Manticore behind her rise, growling deep in its throat.

Rainbow saw it, and advanced. Her face screwed up in a frown. "You…you! HOW DARE YOU! YOU THINK YOUR ANGRY! I CAME IN HERE AFTER PINKIE PIE, WHO I –KNOW- YOU FRIGHTENED AND CHASED HER INTO THAT HORRIBLE GROVE THAT MADE HER DISAPPEAR!"

The Manticore looked taken aback…but another growl began to rise in its throat…

"NO! YOU DON'T GET TO COMPLAIN! YOU'VE WASTED SO MUCH TIME _AND_ GOT ME LOST!" Rainbow thrust her head right up against the Manticore. Fire and brimstone in her rose colored eyes.

"If Pinkie Pie is **anything** short of perfectly healthy when I find her… I. WILL. FIND. YOU." Rainbow frowned so hard, her pupils disappeared under her eyebrows. "_And it will be the worst AND LAST day of your miserable, flea-bitten life_. _Now stay there while I leave and you might live to see at least one more day. Oh…and if you ever hit me with that tail again, I will tear it off and use it to poke out your eyes._"

The Manticore gritted its teeth, not seeming to want to back down, but it had fallen back to the ground, its eyes wavering. Its voice silent.

Rainbow flew back slowly, staring lightning and flame into the eyes of the Manticore…and ascended to the forest canopy once more. Hoping against hope it wasn't too late.

* * *

><p>Dark Pinkie began her Lullaby. She was wearing the horrible mask again, so it looked like Mrs. Cake was singing to her.<p>

_Hush now, quiet now._

_its time to lay your sleepy head,_

_ Hush now, quiet now, _

_its time to go to bed…._

Light Pinkie started to fade. She had to ask herself, was she actually relaxing to the music, allowing herself to believe for one moment was Mrs. Cake singing to her? Or did she actually hate it, disgusted by who really was singing? She'd think about it whenever she woke u-

"AAAH!" Pinkie jumped up as she felt a slicing sensation in her left hip! She turned to see…Dark Pinkie, cutting around her cutie mark with a scalpel, she was still singing!

_Hush now! Quiet now!_

_Its time to lay your sleepy head!_

_ Hush now, quiet now!_

_Its time to go to bed!_

Dark Pinkie had finished her skin-deep, circular cut around Pinkie's cutie mark, and she was already ready with her curved skinning knife to begin phase two. It wasn't even messing up her timing with the song…

_Drift Drift! Off to sleep! _

_Leave the exciting day behind you! _

_Drift Drift! Off to sleep! _

_Let the joy of dreamland find you!_

She even sawed the cutie mark from her muscle in time to the beat. Actually, she wasn't nearly as accurate as when did it normally. She was cutting deeper into Pinkie's muscle to avoid damaging the cutie mark!

Pinkie screamed and cried and worse of all, fidgeted, which caused an even worse gash in her flank than what was already being created! Dark Pinkie huffed. "Pinkie, if you don't stop moving, I'll keep missing." Pinkie took the opportunity of this moment to shoot in "YOU SAID YOU WERE GOING TO LET ME SLEEP!"

"I am, silly! Ponies always seem to fall asleep when I do this! It's so incredibly rude, really. But I'm here to help!"

And then Dark Pinkie repeated the verse as she did the same thing to her other cutie mark. Pinkie Pie ground her teeth together and tried to remain still, hating this other Pinkie with all the passion she had left to give anything in this cruel, cruel world.

When she was done, Dark Pinkie held both of Pinkie's cutie marks in her hooves and waved them. "WHEEEEEEEE…actually wait, I'm getting this all sweaty now." She took the Mrs. Cake mask off. She threw the mask with no reverence whatsoever unto the cart, which made Pinkie cringe.

Dark Pinkie brought one of the cutie marks to her face and bit one of the stray bits of muscle off of it. She closed her eyes and chewed for a while before she gulped. "Mmm! I always wondered what I taste like! Oh, this is the best day ever!"

Pinkie recoiled in disgust and shut her eyes, but they were forced open again when a new stimulus had her screaming in torment once again!

_HUSH! NOW! QUIET! NOW! _

_IT'S TIME TO LAY YOUR SLEEPY HEAD!_

Dark Pinkie had gotten the Nails out now, and was hammering them into Pinkie's leg, still singing her lullaby. She was timing the notes in tune with the hammer strokes, rather than the other way around.

_I SAID! HUSH! NOW! QUIET! NOW! _

_IT'S TIME TO GO TO BEEEED!_

Meanwhile, in the forest, a rainbow blur was speeding like a lightning bolt, shifting between the trees…heading into darker and darker regions of the forest like an archangel valiantly charging into the gates of hell.

Pinkie wasn't certain _when exactly_ her counterpart got the battery out from the cart, but she she knew it was coming. Since she didn't have any wings to hack or saw or hacksaw off, her memories of the dream

_Drift Drift! Off to sleep!_

Dark Pinkie didn't so much throw the switch on the batter as kick it with her hind legs as she stood upright and danced in place.

* * *

><p>The Rainbow blur twisted through the forest, following a familiar set of tracks…<p>

* * *

><p><em>Leave the exciting day behind you!<em>

Electricity pulsed all throughout Pinkie's body...

* * *

><p>The colors of the rainbow dulled as less and less light shone through the forest canopy. But the pegasus still flew ever faster to that place…where the tracks disappeared.<p>

* * *

><p><em>Drift Drift! Off to sleep!<em>

_Let the joy of dreamland find you!_

Dark Pinkie turned up the juice as she danced in place…and Pinkie felt her entire body burn and saw faint traces of smoke coming out of her mouth...that couldn't be good. But something else was wrong…just as the pain was climbing to unbearable levels, it started to dull and all sensation slipped away...she felt herself going numb.

* * *

><p>THERE IT WAS! Rainbow Dash saw the dirt where the tracks disappeared…even at this distance in this darkness, her pegasus vision told her this was the place!<p>

"PIIIIIIIII-!" And then she disappeared into thin air.

* * *

><p>The power eventually switched off, but Pinkie had already lost consciousness.<p>

_Hush now, quiet now!_

_Its time to lay your…sleepy…head?_

* * *

><p>"-IIINNKKKKKIIIIEEEE!" A pegasus suddenly appeared out of thin air into a mist-covered landscape. "Whoa! What's THAT doing here?" Rainbow gaped at the sight she just glimpsed through the mist.<p>

* * *

><p>Dark Pinkie looked over her victim. She waved her hoof in front of Pinkie's still-open, tear-streaked eyes. Nothing.<p>

She gave her a shot of adrenaline. Then another.

No reaction.

Dark Pinkie brought a hoof to her cheek and said "Uh oh…I played too rough again. Somepony should really scold me." She went over to a mirror and put the Mrs. Cake mask back on. "Now, Pinkie! You should be more gentle with your friends!" She took the mask off "I'm sorry…we were just having so much fun!"

Pinkie stared into infinity, oblivious to this particular psychodrama.

"Besides…I'll be nicer to her next time. I mean, she HAS to stick around long enough to see my new routine for the harvesting! And I have lots of new toys I didn't get to play with!" Dark Pinkie concluded. She turned to observe her latest kill.

"But for now….Cupcakes, cupcakes, cucaaaaaaakes!"


	7. Chapter 7: Whaaaaaaaat is going on here?

**The Dark Side**

A My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic fanfic by Lord Xaos**  
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Chapter 7

Rainbow Dash was in a thick cloud of mist. Combined with the gloom of the forest, even her Pegasus vision was having trouble seeing everything. But a gap in the mist revealed what looked like…Ponyville!

"What is Ponyville doing here, in the middle of the …Everfree…forest?" Rainbow looked around and noticed that an entire section of the forest canopy had disappeared, allowing sight of a cloudy sky over what was, indeed, Ponyville.

"I couldn't have been sent back to entrance of the forest….could I?" Rainbow flew straight up into the sky, and had a look around.

As she exited the mist cloud, she looked around and saw….okay, there this wasn't Ponyville. Ponyville bordered a giant forest full of monsters and unnatural "independent" weather.

This town didn't.

Rainbow's eyes were the size of dinner plates. The Everfree forest was gone. The mist remained, but Rainbow would've seen the trees above the mist by now.

Seriously, how can this be "the Darkest Grove" without a single tree? This couldn't possibly be the real Ponyville, either...whatever. She needed to find Pinkie Pie first.

"Hopefully, I can track her down in no time at all. This should be doable. I mean, its not like she's an impulsive, spastic, and completely unpredictable social butterfly with a tendency to prank ponies all…over….town….aw, Horsefeathers."

Rainbow's stomach growled.

"Hmm..maybe I should've tried eating the manticore, and not just for irony's sake." Rainbow joked. "…well…I suppose I could check to see if this imitation Ponyville has a Sugarcube Corner, to get lunch, AND search for Pinkie." Dash reasoned.

As she flew off towards the town, the blue pegasus felt the sun on her face, and the wind in her mane. Rainbow felt so alive.

….

Wait. _Where'd_ that sappy thought come from? She had been talked to death by Zecora, was worried about Pinkie Pie, had been haunted by unnamable demons the night before, been knocked around like a hockey puck by a Manticore's tail, had to fight off two monsters, all while starving from missing breakfast! …And something she couldn't put her hoof on was pissing her off!

"I am **not** turning back." Rainbow argued with the obnoxious buzzing that was occurring in her subconscious.

"Although…I do worry about what else Zecora had to say about this place." Now that Rainbow didn't know where to look or what was what, she had to wonder what else Zecora wanted to tell her."

* * *

><p>Zecora had seen the Sonic Rainboom, and then a Rainbow blur had darted past her. Not knowing what a Sonic Rainboom was, it took her a moment to piece together that all that commotion <em>might<em> have been Rainbow Dash. She wasn't expecting the Pegasus to come from that direction. Whatever detained her must have blown her far off course.

Zecora sighed. And of course, the pegasus was racing more desperately than ever straight for her doom. She'd never catch her now…

She had more things to tell her. How to the grove would warp things she trusted, things she believed in and use against her. How you couldn't really be killed so much as slowly go mad-IF you were the only one trapped in there at any one time. How the monsters of the Everfree instinctively avoided the grove on the rare chance they did find it well-hidden entrance. (That was a plus, actually, a Chimera would probably have double the chances to have eaten Pinkie Pie by now as it would have OUTSIDE the grove where it didn't have a dark twin.)

…How she, Zecora, lied about not ever going in there herself.

She shook her head. This was no time to feel bad for herself. Maybe she could get in contact with the Shadow Watch. She knew a member of the watch slept in an ancient tree near her hut, maybe he could fly off and get in contact with the others.

The Zebra headed off to find him. She had little time to waste. But first….she had to grab something from her house.

Zecora had returned to her hut only to find A white Unicorn running around in there, and all her furniture either turned upside or destroyed. She recognized her as Rarity, one of Rainbow Dash's friends. The frazzled unicorn was apparently trying to comfort something Zecora couldn't quite see behind her overturned caldron, calling it by her own name.

"Zecora, darling, try to calm down. Aaah!" A mighty CRASH was heard as Rarity recoiled. "Oh dear, when is Twilight going to get back here with that bloody spell? I just wish I could take hold of it with magic..." Rarity tried to talk to the thing that was now thrashing and jumping into the air, leaving a **"BANG!" **with each jump. Suddenly, it came into view.

_Oh Ancestors, no._ _She didn't._

She did.

She let the stupid mask out of the box.

Before she chased after Rainbow Dash, Zecora had taken a moment to lock the mask in her box, just as it starting to warm up.

Just then, Rarity tackled the smiling mask. "Oof! Got you, now! I knew there was a reason why I never liked adding masks to my designs! There are nothing but trouble. Really now, Twilight's imagination is just running away with her. This mask probably isn't Zecora at all, just another one of her horrid decorations that is stranger than usual."

"Ahem." Zecora said from behind Rarity, causing the white unicorn to jump.

Sadly, this had the effect of releasing the mask out from under Rarity, which resulted in it slamming right into Zecora's face.

"Oh! No! Stop! Ah!" Rarity fidgeted in place as the BANGS and CRASHES continued around her.

The next ten minutes of Zercora's life was going to be loads of laughs, she was sure.

She didn't have time for this now... What HAD the shaman who enchanted the mask been thinking?

* * *

><p>Dark Pinkie smiled, admiring her handiwork with the Icing. The pink food coloring had died the cupcakes in the exact shade of dark pink as her tail. For the final touch, she grabbed some balloon-shaped sprinkles and littered the pink-on-pink cupcakes with a liberal helping.<p>

Nopony would ever really understand the delicate art that went into her special cupcakes recipe. The meat had to be processed to just the right level. If she chopped it up too fine, the rest of the batter would overpower the taste. If it was too chunky, it wouldn't blend in with the cupcakes properly and be discovered easily. And then there was the process of drying out the rest of the meat….

As rewarding as the work was, it was a bit of a hassle sometimes and it did make her wish ponies ate more, say, pot pies filled with some kind of meat so she could just….switch it..

"Oh well, all this work just makes the end result take all the sweeter." She eyed the hot sauce for a minute, but then spoke. "Actually, no. Not this time. The texture is just too delicate…and too _perfect_. In fact…It makes want to sing!"

And lo, Darkie Pie sang to the cupcake she was holding.

"_This was a triumph._

_The taste and the texture: HUGE SUCCESS. ^_^_

_It's hard to overstate my satisfaction._

_Sugarcube Corner_

_We do what we must_

_because we can_

_It tastes so good, to me at least._

_Not to the ones who are dead._

_But there's no sense crying over every new slice_

_Now won't you stop moving, interrupting's not nice -_-_

_Oh, look at that, I'm all done_

_See, now, wasn't that fun?_

_I'm just kidding, cuz you're still alive._

_I'm not even angry._

_But falling asleep is rather rude. __

_You very nearly broke my heart_

_And killed me. _T_T

_I'll tear you to pieces!_

_And bake every piece into a pie ^_^_

_But before that, I'll have to work, because they're so much to do_

(Darkie Pie took a moment to remove the vials of Pink food coloring from a nearby rack and replace them with a broad rainbow of colors instead.)

_Each and every incision, every beautiful line._

_Now I'm done with the knife_

_Next this time I'll give hacksaw a try_

_Why do they call it that, huh?_

_It doesn't hack, it's name is dumb DX_

_Oh well, let's play once more since you are still alive. XD_

_I won't let you leave here_

_Pinkie, you're missing out on so much fun_

_I wish there was some I could teach you_

_Oh wait, I got it!_

_And this time, I'll have help._

_It's such a shame you'll probably damage her meat_

_It'd be so delicious and moist!_

_Look at me still talking_

_when there's harvesting to do._

_I know you're coming, Dash, I'm sorry you're through!_

_Although you are kind of late_

_And I'm about to eat her up_

_But in a minute, you'll see she is still alive!_

_Like the others who are still alive._

_Like Twilight Sparkle, she is still alive._

_And Fluttershy is still alive._

_And Applejack, they are all still alive._

_And yes, Pinkie Pie, even you are still alive._

_Still Alive…Still Alive"_

And with that, Darkie Pie took a savage, carnivorous bite and _tore_ a chunk out of one of the cupcakes. Her eyes shrank into pinpoints as she did so.

* * *

><p>Pinkie Pie awoke with a jolt. It felt like something just <em>bit<em> her.

* * *

><p>Suddenly, the door to Sugarcube Corner's kitchen opened violently!<p>

"Howdy, Pinkie Pie!" a young filly's voice came from the doorway to the kitchen. "Oh, yah've made cupcakes! Can we some…uh…Pinkie Pie?" Apple Bloom said, as she and her friend Scootaloo entered the Kitchen. "You okay?" Scootaloo asked.

Darkie Pie was too busy choking on her cupcake to answer the fillies. _Weren't they supposed to be in school at this hour?_

* * *

><p>Pinkie's vision was filled with the scenery of the misty grove from before. Before the time she…stepped into…it all started to come back to her now.<p>

_Cupcakes. Electricity. Punch. Evil Twin. Electricity. Basement. Electricity. Trophies. Electricity! MISTER AND MISSES CAKE!_

She felt nauseous. She must've been let go….but wait. She was certain she felt her heart just stop at the end and then she _died_. Was that another dream? How would she even know what heart failure felt like? Or having that much electricity course through her body? How would she recognize that sensation? She had been shocked by static electricity before. But…she had never once given much thought to the subject before.

She might just have passed out and been "rescued" somehow. How would any pony still living know what actually dying felt like? If you died but only "woke up" when you came back to life, you wouldn't be sure you died at all. If died and stayed dead, you weren't going to be able to tell anypony what it felt like.

And the pain…the awful pain felt real. Especially when she cut into her hips when she was skinning off her….

!

_CUTIE MARKS!_

Pinkie had lost her Cutie marks in the basement of the Mystery Sugarcube corner! If they her still gone….

Pinkie gulped. She didn't want to see…but...

Pinkie began gradually craning her neck over her left shoulder. Heart thumping…

_Tha-thump._

_Tha-thump._

_Tha-thump._

Pinkie was kind of worried that it would stop on her again. Her flank was nearly in sight…

_Tha-thump. Tha-thump. _

_Tha-thump! Tha-thump!_

_Tha-thump! _

…..

And Pinkie saw.

It was there. Her cutie mark wasn't even scratched or anything.

Whew.

Relieved, but still needing to know for sure, Pinkie barely spent anytime time registering anything else behind her aside from her left cutie mark before she quickly turned her head to look at the one on her right side. She did

"They're back…" Pinkie's eyes watered. "Oh, I could just kiss them but I think I would break something bending like that so I wAAAAAHHH !"

Pinkie just noticed something was missing

"MY TAIL'S GONE! TAIL! GONE! WHERE IS IT?" Pinkie got up and spun in a circle.

And so it was. Her cutie marks were still there, but her tail was gone.

And that wasn't the only thing.

The faintest glint of light had betrayed a shadow approaching, its shade covering Pinkie's body. With a quick dart of her eyes she saw the shadow's source, and she gasped

KRA-KOOM! A strike of lightning obscured the body of her assailant. But she could make out details from the silhouette.

It was a pony, a mare by the looks of things.

She had a poofy mane

She had wings spread out, but considering what she was wearing last time Pinkie saw her, that was quite easily explained.

And most importantly of all, she was holding a knife in between her hooves. The foreleg pulled back. The blade pointing downwards.

Pinkie jumped to her feet, and ran. She didn't dare look back.

_Wings? Is she still wearing that dress, even outside?_

Vast quantities of rain poured down from the sky and combined with the mist to make an impenetrable veil. Although, Pinkie froze up and squealed a little bit when some of the freezing rain touched a sore spot located right where her tail used to be.

She couldn't stop. She couldn't stop! She couldn't even tell what was appropriate to do for it until she got a good look at it. She was a baker, not a surgeon. And definitely not a Butcher-Surgeon.

And….she really would just as soon take any excuse to not think about her…her beautiful tail.

Pinkie kept running, although she was blinded by the fog and the rain and most of all her own tears. So many tears. She had so much to cry about today.

She didn't even notice when the trees in the background were suddenly replaced by buildings.

* * *

><p>After it looked like Pinkie was settling down from her choking fit, Apple Bloom asked her a question. "Hey, Pinkie, have ya seen Sweetie Bell? She's gone missin'!"<p>

Scootaloo chimed in "Yeah, and we're going to pitch in trying to find her! We're going to be-"

"**Cutie Mark Crusader Crime Solvers!" **The two fillies shouted at the top of their lungs. Scootaloo lost a little volume near the end, however…

"What's wrong, Scoots?" Apple Bloom asked Scootaloo. "Huh? Oh. I just thought…It's not the same without Sweetie Bell." Scootaloo looked down."

"Yeah…I'm going to look for clues around the, shop, okay?" Apple Bloom ran off into Sugarcube Corner.

Darkie Pie wasn't worried. Among other measures (some which specifically applied to Apple Bloom), the basement was locked and she had a good excuse for it to be that way.

"Aww…" Pinkie rubbed Scootaloo's mane. "I'm sorry to so, I don't know anything about Sweetie Bell. I'd offer you some cupcakes, but these are a special order. Tell you what, if you come by later today, I'll have a new batch of _special_ cupcakes ready for you, Scootaloo. I hope you find Sweetie Belle."

"Alright, thanks, Pinkie Pie." Scootaloo answered.

* * *

><p>Left behind in the Light Pinkie's wake, a certain pony wearing an oddly shaped poofy pink hairpiece over mane looked on. The hairs of the wig where held together by a tiny layer of pony hide that had been carefully removed. The pegasus removed the pink "wig" to reveal her unkempt, ruffled mane.<p>

The Assailant had started doing what she had done with such resolve. Such anger. Her recurring dreams had driven her on. And after the sudden change in the dream last night…followed by what she found out this morning…it was obvious what she had to do.

She hadn't expected the removal of Pinkie's tail to fail to rouse her from her sleep. She looked down at the knife. It was one she had been carrying around in a small pouch strapped to her chest. When she found that even her mid-day naps were no longer safe, she found she could only sleep, even during the day (she had reach the point where nothing at all could allow her to sleep during the night), when she had a weapon on her at all times. Best of all, nopony really questioned her having that pouch everywhere.

She even positioned the pouch so she could just lower bend her head forward and retrieve the knife from the pouch with only her teeth. She'd never be without a weapon.

Still…it was kind of unnerving to think that Pinkie hadn't felt her tail being cut off. It wasn't until the Assailant did a little tug to straighten out that last bit of outer hide that was stuck to the rest of Pinkie's body and she cut at kind of a strange angle when she gasped awake.

The Assailant froze. Fear clenched her heart. She was going looking the other way from her…but she would surely know her tail was gone. She was going to be so angry. In the dream, Pinkie said the Assailant hadn't done anything wrong, it was just that "her number came up." _What would she do when you cut off her tail?_ OHCRAPSHELOOKEDRIGHTTHISWAY…and okay, now she is looking relieved and talking to hersel-aaaaawhyisshescreamingnow?

Scared out of her mind, the Assailant pulled the knife back in preparation to fight off the insane mare, but Pinkie was just spinning around like a crazy lunatic. She felt the oddest urge to giggle at Pinkie's antics….no. This was no time for that. Don't forget what's coming-the reason she's spinning around.

The Assailant's heart tingled with guilt as one traitorous thought crept in that maybe she was wrong. Maybe she should have at least waited before cutting her tail off…she didn't know for sure. It was a stupid impulse and a really bad joke and if she WAS evil, The Assailant should still not allow herself to fall to Pinkie's lev….

_Shut up! IT'S NOT JUST WHO DISAPPEARED THIS MORNING! THERE ARE OTHER PONIES THAT HAVE BEEN VANISHING! You KNOW this. Including Peppermint Twist, who I DO remember. She was __always__ in the dream…I just wish I knew where to find G's family or something so I could know for sure whether or not she's really gone._

It was then that the Assailant was brought out of her reverie by the sound of a thunderclap! And also Pinkie's scream. She had noticed her! The Assailant flinched and her mind raced for how to react. Pinkie ran off, a look of terror in her eyes. The Assailant had just realized she just stood there frozen and let Pinkie get away.

Dammit, with all her sleep-deprivation, the only thing keeping her going was the adrenaline. When she saw Pinkie all on her lonesome, she thought it time for revenge. Revenge for her old classmate. Revenge for all the missing ponies. Revenge for all her sleepless nights of terror. But then she stopped to think, and it just slowed her down, and now she was going to plot how best to ambush her and silence her.

Now that she'd been seen, she was dead! Horsemeat! Well, specifically, she was Cupcakes. _What am I going to do? _

Curling up into a ball and shaking seemed like a good option.

….No. The Assailant was done with fear.

The Assailant wasn't going to fall to pieces again. She had been haunted by fear for too long. She always turned into jelly once she stopped long enough to let the tiniest doubt creep in. She couldn't allow herself to always be so weak.

And now that she was facing a monster even more terrible than any she had faced.

"I know what you are Pinkie Pie. I'm not going to let you escape." Her heart hardening, she threw the tail over her neck like a scarf and flew in the direction she saw Pinkie disappear to.

She left a rainbow blur behind her as she flew.


	8. Chapter 8: Reciprocation!

**The Dark Side**

_A my little pony fanfic by Lord Xaos_

_Chapter 8_

As if they were synchronized, the rain had finally started to let up just as Pinkie Pie had stopped crying. She had somehow found herself in a very familiar playground, and had hidden from the rain under a giant horseshoe (she had lost her pursuer in a crowd of ponies….er…and hopefully her pursuer had lost her in that same crowd. Pinkie just knew she was surrounded by ponies and not being murdered at the time, she was really thinking.)

She wasn't _sure_ how she got all the way to Ponyville, but she wasn't complaining.

She struggled to get up, and tried to walk, but she felt dizzy. She was famished. She still wasn't sure how she got her cutie marks back, but apparently her miraculous resurrection didn't think to feed her as well. She needed some food…and a warm bath.

As we walked through the town, she surveyed a source of real food. All the grass was wet and soggy now. And she wanted something with a little more taste. But…still nothing sweet. Maybe something salty or…

Pinkie's back was itchy. Furthermore, it was from a side that was facing a nearby dinner. Pinkie decided to turn a little bit, and noticed the itch kept facing the dinner, moving along her back a little..

Pinkie went to investigate, and noticed something amazing. Outside the dinner, and under a big umbrella was an outdoor table with a plate that contained a completely untouched Dandelion sandwich. Whoever ordered this had left. And what's more, they had left their money with the check.

The price was right. Especially since Pinkie realized she left all her bits at home, and depending on where she was, home may or may not be inhabited by a psychotic murdering Pinkie.

* * *

><p>(Granted, that Sugar Cube corner was in the woods, but…would YOU take that chance?)<p>

(Don't answer right away; think about it for a second…)

:D

_(She'd love to meet you. Think how happy you'd make her.)_

* * *

><p><em>Actually…if this WAS the other Pinkie's world, and I took bits from her, would that be considered stealing?<em>

Pinkie immediately came to a conclusion almost as soon as her mind started to wonder on that point. Yes. Those were in fact, NOT her bits because she wasn't that monster.

….Actually, she was just going to spend the next ten minutes pretending that that…HORRORTERROR didn't exist and never had. She had a sammich to eat.

Pinkie felt a little strange taking another Pony's lunch, but she hated the way ponies wasted food. And if there was ever a way to not waste this food, it was a pony named Pinkie Pie!

Pinkie decided to wrap her sandwich in a fresh napkin from the dispenser, and take it to the playground, where there were fewer ponies. She felt the need to be by herself.

* * *

><p>Rainbow Dash was fuming. She had been trying to get somepony's – ANYPONY'S- attention for the past five minutes. But they all ignored her. She wasn't going to stand for this any longer.<p>

Rainbow flew above the most crowded street in Ponyville (?) and was about to scream at the top of her lungs-when suddenly she couldn't help but wonder if she was going to look foolish in front of an entire town of ponies…._no. I need find Pinkie Pie. Now._

"HEY! HEEEEEEEEEYY! **STOP IGNORING ME**!" Dash's voice echoed across the landscape. ….and was completely ignored. Nopony even Flinched. Not even Fluttershy (?).

"….RARRRR!" Dash dive bombed the crowd, hoping to get some kind of reaction as she flew over menacingly.

No reaction. Rainbow decided to get even closer. She approached a gray pony with crossed eyes….okay, that one might not do.

She spotted Lily instead and waved her hoof in front of her eyes. She completely ignored Rainbow. And then…she walked _through_ one very confused pegasus.

Rainbow was stunned. It took her brain a second to process what happened. "AH!" Rainbow fell backwards.

"D-did she just walk through me?" Rainbow asked nopony in particular. Suddenly, a crowd of ponies came by and_ trampled_ her while she was on the ground….only they totally didn't.

Rainbow stood up, and tried to piece this strangeness together. "Am I a ghost? Can I go through solid objects?"

Rainbow took a look at a nearby building. She decided she was going to try phasing through the walls.

Rainbow stepped back a few paces…and took a running start.

She felt the wind in her mane, and she flapped her wings. She felt giddy.

_This is going to be. So. Awesome!_

She lifted off the ground and charged right at the wall, throwing all caution to the wind. She was so excited about this working, she couldn't contain it any longer…

Here it comes….

With a mighty **CRASH!** That would make a certain Mask proud, Rainbow Dash's world was transformed into a ginormous headache singularity.

* * *

><p>As she ate, Pinkie remembered that she couldn't forget entirely about….<em>her<em>. Specifically, she remembered that the Evil One had mentioned something about using the cloud walking technique to surprise Dashie.

Pinkie had sped up her eating considerably. Hopefully, the Evil One was still looking for her. In any case, she was about to pass out from hunger.

But now that her tummy was getting full, she started to worry more and more about Dashie and all her other friends.

Of course, she was also worried that the Evil One might be waiting for her there. It was the obvious choice...if she was still trying to catch Pinkie. But now that she wasn't starving, she couldn't help but wonder if she wasn't just being cowardly.

No…she should've gone to Dashie's first thing!

_Well,_ Pinkie thought to herself, _I guess I had better get to work. No use crying over spilled time and therefore wasting more. I'm going to head right for Dashie's cloud and warn her about that evil Pinkie. She's fast, so she can warn Everypony else, but I need to check up on her fir…_

_Wait…pinchy knee? PINCHY KNEE! Oh no ohnoohnoohno… _Pinkie looked in all directions

* * *

><p>"There she is." The assailant saw her target for the sky above the empty playground. She dove and landed with great speed, and stared at her nemesis right in the eyes.<p>

* * *

><p>"NOOOOOO!" Pinkie shrieked as the form of pony suddenly appeared right in front of her! She covered her head with her hooves, and cowered. But…something was off.<p>

Bravely, she opened her eyes and looked into the face of the attacker.

It was a sky blue Pegasus with a rainbow mane that was wearing what looked like her tail around her neck like a scarf. She also had a pouch strapped to her chest.

Pinkie however, just reasoned that she got the Tail back from the evil Pinkie.

"Dashie!" Pinkie smiled and wept just a little bit to see her friend once more, and so suddenly! She would've jumped up and hugged Rainbow, but she was feeling another dizzy spell from having retreated so quickly just now.

"Oh Dashie, I thought you were…_h-h_-_her_! You won't believe the day I've had, and it's been so horrible, and absolutely all of it is CRAZY. Even by my standards! I mean, I don't even know which world I'm in now…Oh yeah!" Pinkie looked conspiratorially "The first thing I have to tell you...whichever Dashie you are…"

Pinkie hesitated. "There's a killer, a monster in pony form! But…maybe you've already met her. You got my tail back from her!" Pinkie couldn't really stay on any particular emotion for more than two seconds as she spoke this bit of exposition.

Rainbow didn't answer.

"….Or maybe she just left it behind and you picked it up when you were looking for me? You don't seem to be registering. And, well, maybe it's for the best you don't confront her personally. You're my very best friend, Dashie! I don't know what I would do if she got you! She's already tricked and murdered several ponies, including…including…"

Pinkie started sobbing all over again…but she was trying to not rattle on and be understood "Mis…Mr. and Mrs. Cake…at least in her world. And…it's the worse thing in the world , Dashie!"

She successfully held her voice steady…but the actual content of what she was saying was becoming disjointed.

"Oh Dashie, I'm worried what she do to anypony, but I'm so glad I found you first so we can stop her. She's...me. An evil twin, Dashie. I'm so worried everypony will confuse me for her and then she'll get away!"

Pinkie felt a hopeful smile dawn on her face. "But now that we're togeth-"

**"LIAR!"**

Rainbow Dash, who had starting shaking sometime around the mention of an "evil twin", bellowed so loudly Pinkie almost went into shock. The happy little smile dissolved off her face faster than if it had been fully submerged in acid.

Pinkie lay on the ground, trembling at what she saw. The pupils of Rainbow's eyes had shrunk into snake-like slits, reminiscent of Nightmare Moon, but the black alicorn's eyes weren't _quite_ so scary.

This wasn't cocky "I'm going to casually and nonchalantly crush you beneath my royal heel while condemning the world to eternal night" scary or even "I'm going to skin you alive while wearing Mrs. Cake's face as a mask, but just so you know, I have no hatred of you or any good reason to do this, really" scary.

Somehow the loathing in Dashie's eyes, her friend's eyes, was even more horrifying. As if her heart broke in two, but it was done so fast and violently that the rest of Pinkie that was left couldn't properly process the damage and completely bypassed the despair to make way for bucket loads of fear, as if the floor just gave way when you've been told from birth, and could feel in your ancestral instincts that all threats that could ever appear in the world will come from around you or from the ceiling, and the floor was something you would never sink through so you could always trust it.

And worse of all…somehow, it was the_ floor_ who looked betrayed.

Of course, Pinkie didn't think in quite that much detail. She mostly got stuck over one point.

_What is wrong with Dashie's eyes? The eeeeeeyesss._

"D-dashie…please." Pinkie pleaded. Suddenly, Pinkie froze up.

She remembered something from her first visit with the other Pinkie. She couldn't believe she forgot what her doppelganger said:

_"Ooooh! Oh! Oh wow! That explains it! I woke in your world with Dashie hugging me…it was confusing, but it was where I wanted to go anyway. I happened to have brought along some harvesting supplies, and not just that, but __MY__ dream about being 'you' taught me that neat cloud-walking trick you know."_

_Oh no…I'm such an idiot. Of course she won't believe me. How could I forgotten about that? Forgotten how…how…_ Pinkie was running low on tears to shed, but she sobbed a little. _How could I ever get Dashie ever trust me again?_

"MURDERESS!" the Assailant screamed, rising on her hind legs and rearing her forelegs to stomp on Pinkie Pie with her sky blue hooves.

"Wait!" Pinkie squeaked. Pinkie had been lifting herself partially off the floor without even realizing it, and took this opportunity to jump back a step, out of Rainbow Dash's reach. This was lest effective than one might've hoped. The pegasus was already flapping her wings when she reared up, and it was a simple matter for her to abort her maneuver to an aerial tackle.

"EEK!" The fight had begun. The first thing Pinkie did was push Dash's face away from her, as she was clacking her teeth together, trying to bite Pinkie. Rainbow flailed with her hooves, pounding into whatever corner of Pinkie's body they could find.

Pinkie struggled to get Dash off of her. She had been able to keep Dashie from biting her, but she had to face facts…although earth ponies took pride in their strength and stamina and ability to work hard….there was very little evidence that Earth ponies actually had any more strength than unicorns or pegasi. It was true, Unicorns often relied on their levitation magic to skimp on a lot of potential exercise and generally took bookish jobs, and Pegasi were generally lighter than other ponies….but all ponies still were generally the same equine creature, with much the same potential.

Case in point, a pegasus was beating an earth pony with her bare hooves and winning despite the latter's desperate attempts to pull her off. Pinkie may have been half-starved and unprepared to fight, and Rainbow may have been actively training for an athletic career, but there still was no shaking this simple fact.

Rainbow was simply stronger than Pinkie. She couldn't fight her off…she needed to get her to stop. Anything, really.

Then she noticed it.

The _Tail._

It was wrapping even tighter around Rainbow's neck as they struggled.

Pinkie saw an opportunity and bit on a conveniently place segment of loose tail. She used her other hoof to _wrap_ around and grab the other end. She knew that Pony hair was sturdy but could break easily. Perhaps, with this much of it in one place…

She pulled.

It was the only way to survive.

And as she did so, she felt all the hair in her mane, which had been steadily getting droopier over the course of the day, finally collapse into a veil that covered one side of her face.

* * *

><p>In another part of town, Rainbow Dash had decided that maybe Ponies would notice her if she stole an apple from a nearby cart. Her act of blatant thievery went unnoticed.<p>

_Okay…I have a new "power". I can lift small, unattended objects…and still remain unnoticed. It's like these ponies have never seen an object floating in mid air without magic before. BECAUSE THEY –STILL- HAVEN'T! whoop de doo. I'll at this to the list._

The "list", such as it was, was made up of:

-Ability to walk through Ponies.

-Ability to pass through smaller objects being manipulated by other ponies

-Inability to walk through walls

-Inability to be noticed

-Inability to open doors or windows

-Inability to break windows

There was a lot of "inability." And now…because she was starving…and had an apple, she decided she was going to try to eat, hoping she would not break her tooth against the apple's likely invincibility.

She had just begun to chew, which turned out to be possible, when suddenly; something caused her to unexpectedly start choking on the apple!

* * *

><p>Back at Zecora's cottage, Rarity was recapping what the Zebra had just told her.<p>

"So, you're saying that this…Grove….creates a copy of yourself that is, at least most of the time, completely evil."

Zecora nodded.

"And if you kill your friend's doppelganger, in self-defense no doubt, your friend could die as well?"

Zecora nodded her head…slowly. She seemed about to speak more on the subject but Rarity immediately continued talking.

"_And you DIDN'T tell Rainbow Dash this little detail? _Or didn't get around to it before she ran off, or something, _but it was something OTHER than the __**VERY FIRST THING YOU CHOOSE TO TELL HER**__?"_ Rarity was losing control over the volume of her voice.

That wasn't entirely fair. But how best could Zecora explain?

There was remarkably inconclusive evidence the Grove really worked that way, actually. Its just that from what little Zecora could find out about the cases (from the records of the only tribe that actually kept thorough track on Zebras and other creatures that entered the grove) where groups of Zebras entered Zebrica's "Darkest Grove", the failure rate skyrocketed. But…the records were uncertain about a particular point of these failures.

One of a Dark Side's goals is usually the corruption of a light side, to drive a visitor insane. So, depending on how this might've happened…

But yes, more often than not, somebody killed something that closely resembled their companion. Something that was itself trying to kill them. And then they never found their friend again.

So, was that their friend who had been corrupted? Or at that been a Dark Side?

It was impossible to say.

When Zecora had gone in the grove, it was by herself.

She knew everything she could know about the Grove before going in….

And yet, certain bits of misinformation and false connections between records of successful journeys had taught Zecora some very bad habits that had nearly killed her. She was vague Rainbow Dash on purpose, trying to teach her how to avoid the mistakes she had made about the grove as she saw them. To make her a fitter, more flexible contender, not, to pardon the phrase, to make her a one-trick pony.

Like Zecora had been.

But…the trouble was, Rarity was right. Rainbow should've been told first that she could do everything right, but still have a chance to inexplicably die in the first five minutes if Pinkie met her Dark Side before she did and things spiraled out of control…

Zecora looked out the window.

_Sweet Pinkie Pie and Brave Rainbow Dash… _

_Be safe. Please don't do anything rash._

* * *

><p>Dark Dash, who had been on top of Pinkie Pie, gasped at being choked and stopped fighting to lift her right fore leg to try and grab the tail. Pinkie used that moment while Rainbow was off balance to roll in the direction of Dashie's <em>left<em> fore leg and trip her up, being careful to slacken her hold on the tail she was choking Dash with so she wouldn't break the filly's neck.

* * *

><p>Rainbow Dash spat out the bits of apple she was choking on, and had finished coughing. "Easy there…small bites from now on, Rainbow Dash."<p>

* * *

><p>Rainbow Dash rolled to the side. She was shaken, but still trying to fight. Her eyes still held a sort of desperate fury.<p>

Pinkie dropped the bit of her tail in her mouth onto the ground, only to immediately stomp on it with the hoof holding the other part. She pulled herself up, placing her other hoof on the two strings of the tail.

Rainbow was quickly losing her bravado. _GAH! Why'd I wear this stupid tail around like a scarf? Oh, right, I was thinking about doing the Rarity-based organ joke from the nightmare, giving Pinkie a taste of her own medicine…but then I lost my temper and forgot I had it! And now Pinkie gets to choke me to death with her own tail! Arg…why didn't I get the knife first thing? I go to all this trouble to never be without a weapon and now THIS gets me. What a world, what a world…_

Pinkie Pie stood up, from Rainbow's perspective; it was done in horrifying slow motion.

From Pinkie's perspective, it was done carefully because her body ached all over.

Rainbow tried to kick herself up, but she only managed to choke herself, knocking her back down.

"STOPPIT!" Pinkie cried when Rainbow tried to escape, only hurting herself in the process. She still seemed to be trying to crane her neck to get to that pouch at the base of her neck. Pinkie was worried she was going to break her own windpipe "Please, Dashie…don't _choke_ yourself!" Pinkie locked tearful eyes with Rainbow.

Pinkie didn't finish her sentence for a few seconds…she was trying to regain her breath and slacken her death grip on Rainbow just enough so the pegasus could breathe without letting her go.

"I'm not who you think I am. There's another Pinkie out there. I don't ever, ever want to hurt you like I just did ever again. I want to let you go…but you really hurt me, Dashie."

Rainbow's eyes, which seemed to have started to betray a small shimmer of confusion, suddenly dilated in fear again, and she began to shake.

"No, no, no, no…I don't mean it like that." Pinkie said, in the most calming voice she could manage while shaking her head. "It's okay. I AM going to let you go, but you have to calm down and promise to listen to what I have to say and not fly off the handle first."

"…" Rainbow wasn't prepared for that. She took a moment to think. _Why? She'd probably think it would be poetic justice to strangle me with the tail I chopped off. …Maybe she just want to take it back so she can stitch it back on and try to hide the fact it was ever gone._

_That's gotta be it! She can't afford to risk breaking her tail hairs too much killing me with them! …that's gotta be it. Right?_

…_why can't I bring myself to distrust those eyes? And…bah! It's that stupid hairstyle of hers! She's probably just wearing it long, but it's making her seem sadder now that it's not defying gravity. Is it really another Pinkie Pie? But that's impossible!_

Finally, she came to a decision.

"…..on one condition." Rainbow said. "When you let me go, you've got to stay put while I get what's out of my pouch." She saw Pinkie's gaze shift from rose her voice an octave. "And if you ever want me to trust you again, you won't even try to take what's in it for yourself now that you have me at your mercy! Any false moments and I'll struggle and never stop until one of us is dead!"

Pinkie wanted to answer immediately. But she was worried as to what was in that pouch she was so fascinated about.

"I-if that's what makes you feel safe, Dashie." Pinkie was losing power in the situation, she could feel it. Still…she had to do this. "But you still have to promise you aren't going to do anything unless I actually threaten you."

Rainbow looked at Pinkie, and nodded.

Hesitantly, Pinkie let go.

Almost immediately, Dark Dash grabbed her knife and Pinkie could barely make out a flash of silver before a reflection of the sun's gleam off the knife's polished surface blinded her!


	9. Chp 9 redux: Rocket to WTF?

Upon careful meditation, I have decided to alter the scene with the [b]Shadow King[/b], figuring that at this time, the story really didn't need [b]it[/b]. [b]It[/b] may or may not be added to the story again later. We'll miss you...[b]Giygas.[/b]

* * *

><p><em>A My Little Pony fanfic by Lord Xaos<em>

_Chapter 9_

Pinkie Pie had just released a twitchy, paranoid Rainbow Dash moment ago, and the first thing Rainbow did was fetch something shiny from her pouch. It caught some rays of sunlight and reflected them straight into Pinkie's eyes.

The spots before Pinkie's eyes _killed_ her vision. Still, she lowered the hoof she used to cover her eyes, and squinted, blinking furiously to focus on Dash.

Dash was flying above Pinkie, pointing whatever she was holding in her hoof right at her. The object was throwing off her depth perception, and that, combined with everything else that was wrong with her (Namely: She had been kicked by Rainbow in multiple areas of her body, including several hits on her legs and at least once in her head, she was winded, and all with blinding spots before her eyes), caused Pinkie to fall to her side.

The assailing Dash flinched at this sudden movement, her eyes turning into pinpoints and the pegasus hyperventilating a little bit, and for the one moment when Dashie fell out of Pinkie's vision, she had somehow made it all the way over to her and was flying over her, menacingly holding the knife.

Oh no…one of the conditions was that she wasn't supposed to move. Did this count? Was Dashie going to kill her now? Pinkie's mind swam with things to say, but as soon as she thought of one, another emerged and pushed the previous one aside, demanding precedence.

_I'm sorry! I didn't mean to move! You blinded me and…_

_Please don't kill me. That already happened once today! Seriously! I think. I'm so confused! *cry*_

_Um…can I spend one of my lifelines to just say that last bit never happened?_

_FOR__**EVER**__! _

That last one was short and to the point, and might've shocked Dash out of...whatever she was planning to do. Pinkie couldn't work up the nerve to do any of those things. She was staring up at death itself. She was having flashbacks to earlier this morning when she was killed by Herself.

Wait. The knife! Dashie was holding the knife that Pinkie thought was used by the other Pinkie! It was the exact same sleek, curved shape! In hindsight, Pinkie wondered why the other Pinkie was using a blade like that when she had plenty of kitchen knives and skinning knives and scalpels that wouldn't look as fancy as the knife she had seen. And now Dashie was here, holding the very same design.

"You're the one who cut off my tail." Pinkie spoke aloud, almost numbly.

Pinkie's vision was clearing, and it was because of this that she could see the look of confusion on Dash's face.

"In the forest. It was you."

"…How could you not know? You looked right at me." Dash asked.

"I couldn't see you clearly. And…your mane was strange. I thought you were the other Pinkie Pie" Pinkie stared at the knife Dashie was pointing at her. "L-look, I really, really, REALLY need to collect my thoughts to explain the situation here, a-and…and..."

Pinkie sobbed once more "YOU PROMISED!" She was angry at Dashie now. "You promised if I let you go, you wouldn't-"

"You promised you wouldn't move…although I guess you were surprised by my knife or something. You always were kind of a klutz. But now that this has happened, is this REALLY going back on my promise? I'm still listening to you." Dash continued to hover above Pinkie. "I'll give you time to think, but if I better like what I'm hearing."

Pinkie gulped and peered up at Dash. "It might be hard to hear anyway, Dashie…but just keep in mind that if I'm telling the truth about there being another Pinkie out there, you can't afford to get the wrong one and end up lowering your guard falsely believing you are safe…You really shouldn't take her on by yourself in any case, Rainbow!"

Rainbow didn't say anything. She obviously wanted Pinkie to start talking.

This was hard. Pinkie had only a little time to recap the madness that had been her life ever since the nightmare, and present it in an easy-to-digest form.

-She went to Dashie's to make sure she was okay. (Depending on which Dashie this was, she might not remember that.)

-She suddenly switched places with the other Pinkie, and became a pegasus pony in her world. (That last part had been becoming fuzzier and fuzzier as time went on, and flying sounded like the kind of experience Pinkie would remember for all time.)

-She woke up, noticed her shadow was flying around on its own, and chased it into the forest until it just….gave up? Or something?

-Then, she met the Evil Pinkie, who told her a confusing story about switching places and scaring her Dashie and plotting to go after the other Dashie.

-Then Pinkie got made into an electricity-conducting blank flank, and died. Strangely enough, she got better.

Yeah, hers was a hard case to make. And the Judge, Jury, and Executioner were all the same unbalanced, paranoid pegasus mare who was looking skeptical. Fortunately, Pinkie thought she had figured out at least WHICH Dashie she was talking to.

(Actually, Pinkie couldn't be sure there really was any other Ponyville. If the Everfree Forest just created that Sugarcube Corner and the Nightmares within…well, stranger things have happened. Seasons changing on their own, for instance.

This Rainbow Dash was likely the same one that had been holding her just before she "switched places" with the other Pinkie. The "other" Rainbow, if she even existed, wouldn't know her Pinkie Pie was evil….would she?

Thus, Pinkie assumed she was dealing with her Rainbow.)

Pinkie made an effort to control her voice. Because if she spoke too fast, she'd start sobbing again. And that would lead to her blubbering incoherently.

"There is another Pinkie. I met her, and she said she …'switched places' with me…somehow."

"Switched places?" Dash looked confused. _I seriously have no idea what she's talking about, but then again, I'm not sure Pinkie does either._

"She kept talking about a 'little bird" telling her this and that. I couldn't begin to figure out how she did that, but…if I suddenly went crazy on you, like it sounds like I did I…I" Pinkie's voice was trembling. So much for control.

_Went crazy? Why wouldn't she know if she "went crazy" on me. Wouldn't she be ther…oh. Oh. Oh shit. _Dash's eyes, which had been confused, suddenly dawned with realization. Pinkie had a little trouble making it whether it was fear or just shock.

"I'm so sorry! It wasn't really me! And…I-I'm glad you're alive! I'm so glad you got away from me! I mean her! She's not Pinkie Pie, she's *hiccup!* she's *hiccup!* she's….MEANIE PIE! Look, I'll work on the nickname later! *hiccup* It's just…I really, really, really, really REALLY…*Sob*….reallydon'tknow *hiccup* whatIwoulddoifshe…*HICCUP!*"

That last hiccup was so pronounced; the tremor throughout Pinkie's body actually sent her flopping into the air. Rainbow, who was already shaken enough to loosen her death grip she had on the knife as well being surprised by Pinkie's sudden movements, raised her hooves to protect her face while she screamed.

The knife went flying into the air, right above Dash. Rainbow looked up to follow it, and barrel rolled out of the way. Pinkie took a moment to relieve what was going on-she was so used to her twitchy tail telling her about stuff. Her knees suddenly pinched up and Pinkie rolled to side, curling her body up as small as possible. The pink earth pony closed her eyes, leaving an after image of _the knife falling right towards her not unprotected head …_

Pinkie let out a scream and shut here eyes.

CLANK!

Pinkie opened her eyes. And immediately felt dizzy.

The knife was RIGHT above her eye…but it was caught in between the hooves of Rainbow's back legs. If it had fallen even half an inch further, it would've gone into Pinkie's eye. As it was, it was kind of throwing Pinkie's eye out of focus trying to look at it.

Rainbow grinned nervously. "eheheheh…"

Pinkie and Rainbow stared at each other.

Rainbow couldn't think what to say.

Pinkie sniffed a little, but couldn't help but break out into a broad, goofy grin.

Rainbow's ears flopped behind her head, as if she wasn't quite sure she hadn't set off a bomb or something.

Pinkie said something inaudible.

"Um…what'd you say?" Rainbow asked. For their great vision, Pegasi were not gifted with similarly spectacular hearing.

Pinkie cleared her thought and repeated. "You cured my hiccups."

Rainbow gaped at Pinkie. Then frowned. Then she rolled her eyes. Then, while her head was back, she broke into a toothless smile…

…and began to laugh.

"hahahaha…HAHAHAHAHA!"

Pinkie, still grinning, suddenly felt her cheeks inflate once more and she opened her mouth to release a fit of giggling. "Hee Hee hee...Hehehehe!" Pinkie snorted, and that seemed to cause Rainbow to fall to the ground, rolling on the floor.

The two ponies…beaten, bruised, and one with lines pressed into her sky-blue neck broke into uncontrollable laughter.

This felt good… it felt like an eternity since Pinkie had last had a laugh. She always loved laughing, and making others laugh. For a moment, she nearly forgot about all the bad stuff that had happened today. She didn't care if her sides were starting to hurt, she never wanted to stop.

Best of all, Pinkie dared to hope that she had finally gotten through to Dash on some level. Pinkie was already planning in her head the details of her "We're friends again!" Party she was going to throw Dashie. She wasn't really ready to think about Sweets again, but she felt like this event simply had to be celebrated. Not just a normal party...some kind of fantastic, superrific party!

Truly, laughter was won…der…ful…wait.

Why was Dashie _crying_?

Indeed she was. Somewhere along the way, Rainbow's giggles had dissolved into sobs. Pinkie was concerned for her friend. "Dashie?"

Dash became silent. She got up, but hung her head, hiding the view of her face. Pinkie could however tell that she was smiling.

"….You really are Pinkie Pie. You've been so serious, I was beginning to wonder." Dash looked up; wearing the saddest smile Pinkie had ever seen in her life. "And not just that, you're the Pinkie Pie who's my friend."

"H-hey…Dashie, are you okay? What's wrong?"

"And that's the saddest part." Dashie turned around and seemed to gather her thoughts for a moment. _I understand what's wrong with you now Pinkie…and…well, you're still terrifying. I don't even know what's going to set you off. But…please, please, please PLEASE tell me you haven't done it yet._

"What's the saddest part?" Pinkie asked.

"Pinkie..."

"Yes?"

Dash turned around and looked at her intensely. _"Where's Sweetie Bell?"_

"Wha?"

"I had a dream about Sweetie Bell last night…and then Rarity told me what happened this morning."

Pinkie just looked more confused than ever.

"Pinkie, please tell me. Look, we can get a doctor to stitch your tail back on or even maybe it'll grow back…maybe the other missing ponies got kidnapped by Diamond Dogs or something…maybe we can get you some help and its not too late…." Rainbow Dash became insistent.

Pinkie had no idea what was Dashie was saying.

"But right now, I need you to tell me Sweetie Bell is okay."

Pinkie's eyes flashed with revelation, and she gasped.

"Oh no! You mean…Sweetie Bell's _disappeared!_"

"Please think, Pinkie! If you can remember anything…anything at all! Please tell me!" Rainbow's voice became desperate.

Pinkie, her mouth gaping…shook her head. "I-I don't know anything. I haven't seen Sweetie Bell since….three days ago, I think it was? I…I really don't know anything! If you're the one who cut off my tail, I don't even know where the Evil Pinkie is or where to find her! I don't even know where that was in the forest that I first met her, or if she's even still there! I keep telling you she is a different pony from me, Dashie!"

"Noooo…..no…." Rainbow backed away, her voice betraying unfathomable despair.

"WAIT! We could at least try to look at the Sugarcube Corner in this Ponyville first! I mean, we have to warn Mr. and Mrs. Cake...and our friends…"

Rainbow grew, if anything, more disturbed by Pinkie's words. _Her delusions are worse than I thought. This personality believes the Cakes are still alive. This Pinkie…this Pinkie is…_

"NOOOO!" Rainbow Dash screamed, her hooves placed over head like she reeled from some terrible revelation.

Pinkie stepped forward. "Dashie, what's wrong!"

"You….just…just….STAY THERE! DON'T FOLLOW ME!" Rainbow began to cry. She flew off, unable to take the hurt anymore.

"Dashie, wait! SHE CAN CLOUD WALK NOW!" Pinkie called after her. But the sky blue pegasus was already out of earshot.

Rainbow Dash flew away, crying her eyes out. The Pinkie she just confronted was the one who kidnapped Sweetie Bell. They WERE the same pony. And…she didn't know.

She had hidden the truth…from herself.

The world was so cruel. So very cruel.

Watching the rainbow blur fade out of existence, Pinkie Pie considered going after Dash. But, something else caught her attention.

Her tail lay on the ground, forgotten.

Unlike her mane, the tail remained slightly poofy, but the abuse it had taken was starting to cause the hairs to uncurl and unravel.

Pinkie wasn't sure what to do, but then recalled that brief mention Dash made that the tail might grow back.

Pinkie couldn't see her wound without a mirror, but she decided to look at the bit of pony skin that held the tail together. Pinkie wasn't sure if it contained any hair follicles…she had to admit her understanding of her own anatomy was more than a little fuzzy. But, she knew from…from the cutie mark incident how thick the outer layer of a Pony's hide was, and this seemed awfully shallow. It didn't contain any of the….meat… from before. Maybe she _should_ see a doctor.

But…Sweetie Bell was still missing and…she couldn't shake the feeling that Meanie Pie was still out there. Pinkie was just going to grab the tail and take it with her to Sugarcube Corner.

…She DID need to work on that name. Evil Pie? Pinkie Bad? Nasty Pie? Murder Pie? Devil Pie? Death Pie?

Pink Snooty, perhaps?

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, another Rainbow Dash was finding new and exciting ways to be frustrated out of her mind.<p>

She wanted to head straight for Sugarcube Corner, on the off chance that Pinkie Pie might be there. She flew in the general direction of the bakery, and from memory flew to where it always stood, where Rainbow found...

…a Pharmacy. A pharmacy that was supposed to be on the other end of town from Sugarcube corner, no less! WHAT WAS GOING ON?

She had given up trying to communicate with the other ponies, and recalled what Zecora had told her about the Darkest Grove.

* * *

><p><em>"The Bane of Darkness is something you must discover on your own.<em>

_Because the nightmares inside the grove are made from your shadow self,_

_the path to defeating it might guessed beforehand, but never known._

_However, the 'shadow self' is normally not something you can see._

_The shadow I speak of is a spiritual entity _

_that exists not so much on the floor, but behind your eyes. _

_There is a terrible and great enmity_

_the Shadow has for its counterpart which cannot be put into words, which is why_

_they will use the grove to create the most terrible nightmare they can devise._

_The Nightmares are made both of your own faults, and your own fears,_

_And even parody your virtues, whatever helps the destruction of good_

_or designed to shred you into tears._

_Accepting them as part of you might work, if you should._

_Destroying them in combat might bring salvation, if you could._

_Very few shadows are kind enough to create such Nightmares that are easily torn apart. A Shadow would never waste such a valuable opportunity to destroy your very heart."_

* * *

><p>"Wow….I can't believe I even remembered her rhymes for that one." Next, Zecora moved on to telling Rainbow the basic tips for survival. And although the Rhyming became really distracting, Rainbow basically got that what she was supposed to find was some sort of Nightmare world that was going to mess with your mind and leave you babbling and empty assuming you hadn't already died.<p>

She had been expecting Demons….Horrors….Zombies. Or maybe just copies of your dead loved ones telling you what a big disappointment you were to them and how your friends secretly hate you and blah, blah, blah.

Actually….if she was honest, what she was really worried about was meeting be a giant and terrible adult Dragon. But, come on! She'd definitely notice one if-

"RAAAARRRR!"

"DRAGON!" Rainbow Dash jumped into the air, and froze up, landing on her back and playing dead.

It took her a moment to notice that somepony was giggling mischievously nearby.

_Pinkie Pie! Oh, there she is! Same old prankster, huh? I'll admit, she got me good that time._

"Hey, Pinkie." Rainbow smiled, looking up at her friend.

Pinkie kept giggling.

"Okay, thanks, you can stop that now-" Rainbow was cut off as another pony spoke up.

"Pinkie, please! You've been giving me heart failure all week! I-I really insist that you stop!" A soft voice rose in anger. "um..that is…if it's okay with you."

"Aw..but, Fluttershy." The pink earth pony chuckled, apparently trying not to grin and failing. "It's all in good fun."

"I don't find it fun. You jump out of nowhere enough as it is, and now you're being really…loud every time I see you."

"Yeah…I'm going to have to take a rain check."

"Um, so you'll st-?"

"RAAAARRR!" Pinkie roared suddenly.

Fluttershy squeaked and fell backwards, trembling. Pinkie grinned. "What? You said 'if that was okay with me.' And I decided that its not. You get it? RAAAAR!"

Fluttershy pushed Pinkie aside, and ran away, crying. "I hate you, Pinkie! I h-hate you!"

"Aw…that's not very nice." Pinkie pouted, still sounding playful.

Rainbow looked after Fluttershy as she ran, and then turned to Pinkie Pie as she continued to laugh. She finally found her. She had to get her out of here…right? Take her back to Ponyville. _But this IS Ponyville. And this Pinkie…_

"Pinkie…that was _mean."_ Rainbow couldn't believe she did that to Fluttershy of all ponies. Pinkie had been the one to protect Dash from pranking Fluttershy because the yellow-and-pink pegasus was so sensitive.

**"WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING AT!"** Pinkie sneered, looking right at Rainbow. Actually, even this sneer seemed to come in the form of a toothless grin. But Pinkie's eyes were …less than friendly.

"Nothing!" Rainbow said at the same time as a voice behind her spoke the same word. Rainbow turned to see a very scared looking unicorn mare she didn't recognize. She had a yellow coat and a shiny golden mane and tail. She vaguely reminded Rainbow of Spitfire, one of the Wonderbolts.

Rainbow took the opportunity as the two ponies stared at each other to wave a hand in front of Pinkie's face. "Um…Pinkie, if you can see me, say something right now. Even RRAAAAARR!" Rainbow did her best dragon impression. Nopony seemed to notice her. _That solves THAT riddle._

Pinkie stared at the more of a little while longer, and suddenly broke into a smile. "Okie-dokie-lokie!" She hummed a happy little tune and trotted away. The unicorn seemed relieved.

On closer inspection, Rainbow Dash noticed that Pinkie was carrying a bag from the Pharmacy she was just at. …Was she heading home? Was there a Sugarcube corner here? Did Rainbow even want or need to go there anymore?

Still…Rainbow could think of nothing better to do than follow _this_ Pinkie Pie and learn more about her.

* * *

><p>Across the darkest grove, there echoed a voice. Pinkie's voice.<p>

"_Hook, line and sinker."_

Dash's voice responded.

_"I'll say it again. Your plan is stupid. There's no way we can corrupt my container. The Element of Loyalty cannot be subverted like the element of laughter. Shadowjack actually has some good ideas for the Element of HONESTY, if you can believe that. I was trying to do something with Dragons, but she just fought a Manticore and a giant serpent AND was taught the Challenge by that damn Zebra. The fact that she is so dangerous to me now is the ONLY reason I even think to work with you. I still think we should follow MY PLAN."_

_"Hey! It's MY nightmare! My rules! You were late to the party. Or maybe…you're afraid I'll hurt you too badly? Aw…Don't worry, Sha-Dashie! I promise I'll be gentle." _

_"..."_

_"AND, you're going to make delicious cupcakes! All we have to do is wait for the other Elements of Harmony to chase after their friends and…"_

_ "Yeah, about that. I got word from Shadarity. They're not coming."_

Silence. For a moment.

_ "WHAT? Impossible! How can these ponies be so BORING! Even I'm a little hard broken for Pinkie's sake that only one of her friends in all Ponyville cared enough to come save her. I can't believe it! They were all supposed to fly like moths into my flaming web!" _

_ "Its not that. It's the Zebra. Again."_

_ "Arrrgggg! Fine! We'll just take the two Elements from the ponies we got. Get into position, AND **character**. NOW."_

_ "Sigh…so, I'm supposed to NOT be suspecting "Pinkie" of taking Sweetie __Bell__ now, just be a chump? You're script is confusing…"_

_ "NOW!"_

_"Fine, fine. …Hey."_

_ "What now?"_

_ "Its about that unicorn."_

_ "Unicorn?"_

_ "Don't play dumb. You know the one. She's not actually in Ponyville. What kind of memory are you using to create her?"_

_ "I don't know what you're talking about. I can't keep track of all these dream ponies. I mean, Apple Bloom and Scootaloo got the drop on me today."_

_ "BUT YOU CONTROL THEM!"_

_ "I do?"_

_ "THIS IS **YOUR** NIGHTMARE! YOU ARE THE ONLY PONY THAT COULD EVEN ALLOW ANY OF THEM TO BE HERE IN THE FIRST PLACE!"_

_ "I am?"_

_ "…dude. That's creepy. I'm just going to get this party started and stop talking to you."_

_ "Okie dokie lokie!"_

* * *

><p>Rainbow had been trailing her pink quarry for a while now, and she was starting to lull into boredom. Not having to stop even for other ponies getting in her way made it easier to just drift into her own thoughts.<p>

Which was why she didn't notice when Pinkie Pie vanished into a crowd of Ponies.

"….." Rainbow blinked. "Oh crap, I lost Pinkie Pie!" Rainbow took to the air, looking around like crazy, but she could find no sign of the Pink-on-Pink mare anywhere. After five minutes of search, Rainbow began to panic. "Oh no, that might've actually been the real Pinkie Pie…possibly. Zecora said I was supposed to stick to her like glue when I found her and help her escape! How could I be-"

Suddenly, a rainbow blur _dashed_ past the sky blue pegasus. Rainbow blinked. "…over there?"

Indeed, another Rainbow Dash had flown past her. Rainbow had a sudden impulse to race her clone, just to see who would win. She was the fastest pegasus in Ponyville. But! Was she the fastest Rainbow Dash? No…she should try and find out where Pinkie went…or how much time had past since she lost Pinkie Pie.

….oh dear. It seems that she was in fact, _already_ racing this other Rainbow Dash. All those responsible thoughts that entered her head were completely ignored.

…_oh well, I can find Pinkie later. Right now, I got some stress to burn off, and honor to uphold! _Rainbow easily caught up with her clone._ Ha! I'm not even getting warmed up! Are you sure you're really Rainbow Dash? There's no way this can be your best, or even your casual speed! What's wrong…slow…poke?_

_Oh wow, you don't look so good._

Indeed, the other Rainbow seemed to have bags under her bloodshot eyes, and her movements were more sluggish than usual. She was flying, looking frustrated and just…haggard in general. Like she hadn't slept properly in days. Rainbow Dash wondered what in the world had been happening to her, and wondered if like the other ponies, she was invisible to her doppelganger or the pegasus was just so tired she didn't take stock of even her immediate surroundings.

She also was wearing the strangest pouch on her chest.

Suddenly, the other Rainbow turned and started to descend. With nothing better to do, the invisible Rainbow Dash followed suit.

As it turned out, she was led straight to Sugarcube Corner, located roughly where the Pharmacy should be in the Ponyville Rainbow Dash knew, but on the wrong side of the street. Huh.

Rainbow remembered that should couldn't open doors as a "ghost" and flew after the other Dash, trying desperately to get through the door before…

**SLAM.**

Crash!

"Ow….." Rainbow moaned. She didn't make it inside.

From inside the shop, she heard Pinkie's voice "Rainbow! You're finally here! Oh I've been so worried about you! You've been all mopesy-dopesy so I thought I'd ask you to come visit me so I could make you feel extra-super-special and cheer you up! But then you didn't show up when I thought you were going to and I was all sad that you were going to stay cooped up in your house all day but then you came in and now you're here and now we can have some fun!"

Pinkie was wearing a white shirt and baker's hat. This wasn't her usual attire.

The other Rainbow Dash merely looked at her blankly, before shaking her head and stumbling forward. "Whatever, Pinkie. What did you want me here for?"

_Other me is awfully huffy. I wonder what's her problem is supposed to have been. Still, this Pinkie seems …well, normal-ish. For Pinkie Pie. Minus the getup. Or at least isn't presently terrorizing Fluttershy. Maybe THIS is the real Pinkie? Arg! Why am I the only pony who can't open doors!_

Rainbow fidgeted with the know…or tried to. The knob seemed awfully heavy in her hooves, and it was completely immobile. Even her crash a moment ago didn't seem to make much noise. Rainbow was sure that Twilight would have a field day trying to explain all the physics of this "ghost" business.

_Maybe my innermost fear is being ignored or something stupid. Ha. Ha. ha. This is the lamest insanity-inducing nightmare realm EVER._

Looking back inside, Rainbow saw Pinkie had a tray of freshly baked cupcakes she fetched from the oven, slathered in icing. "I made you cupcakes!"

The other Rainbow, who was looking up at Pinkie because she was standing on her hind legs of hold the cupcakes in her fore hooves, started shivering. She began stumbling in retreat …at least Rainbow thought it was retreat, the poor filly moved as if she was drunk, unable to just head for the door. Still, something was wrong.

"No...no...nonononononoNONONONO!" the other Rainbow looked around wildly. Pinkie just blinked like a moron. "N-no...no, I don't want 'em. Not gonna l-let you...lemme out of here, LET ME OUT OF HERE!"

_Okay…other me is crazy. Wait…what is Pinkie Pie doing just standing there?_

Pinkie merely tilted her head to the side quizzically, setting the tray down and lifting a few of the cakes out and plating them, bouncing over to the shivering Rainbow Dash and offering the plate to the pegasus.

The Dash who was inside smack the cupcakes away, sending the tray flying. "I SAID I DON'T WANT THEM! I know what you're doing, it's not going to work!" Pinkie Pie frowned at the discarded cupcakes, but in typical Pinkie fashion she just shrugged and went about cleaning them out, humming to herself.

_Pinkie…what are you doing? Other me is having a psychotic breakdown! You can't be this dense! You just can't be!_

"Maybe you don't like the avocado icing?"

"MORON!" the invisible Dash screamed banged her head repeatedly against the door. _Actually…avocado icing is okay... why am I even thinking about this now?_

"That's okay, I made plenty more so we can make some to your liking. Is that okay? Rainbow? Dash?"

The crazy Dash was whimpering like an injured puppy. She could've retreated easily, which was what Ghost-Dash could tell she obviously wanted to do, except she had backed herself into a corner and seemed to be hyperventilating.

Actually, if truth be told, Rainbow felt bad for the other Dash. She took it back. This Pinkie Pie was just… _insensitive_. But at the same time, she was scared for Pinkie. She'd never seen a pony act like this before, and Pinkie was being incredibly stupid. She might even have been genuinely ignorant and innocent, she just has a severe handicap reading between the lines…or even reading the lines themselves.

_The sad thing is, that fits Pinkie to a tee. I still remember what happened in Appleloosa. "I do?" "I am?" Arrrrg._

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, in another corner of town, a very lost Pinkie Pie suddenly gave a very sneeze.<p>

"Aw, come on! Don't tell me I'm getting a cold now! Still, I guess this is yet another sign that I am in fact, still alive and not a ghost." Pinkie waved a hoof in front of yet another bypasser. "Sigh…please let me wake up in my bed and realize everything was just a dream. I promise I'll never troll Dashie again…"

_But seriously, that filly needed to loosen up sometimes._

* * *

><p>"Get Away…" Crazy Rainbow was fiddling with the pouch strapped to her body. "...just get away, getawaygetaway..."<p>

_What's in that pouch?_ Rainbow yelled once more, trying to get into Pinkie's dumb, thick, skull. "Pinkie! Give her some space! You're terrifying her and I think that-" Rainbow let out a gasp that no other pony could hear.

Crazy Dash had given up opening her pouch with her panicky hooves.

And instead, she had seized a nearby kitchen knife. A very sharp one. Holding it in her hooves, she pointed it at Pinkie, and issued a plea "Just leave me alone...please, Pinkie Pie...just *hic* leave me alone!"

Rainbow froze. She wanted to shout, to scream, to call for help, tell Pinkie to get out of there, anything! Even if such things were useless before now. But she couldn't find her voice. Her muscles hurt to move, but she still was able to start pounding on the door weakly.

The door didn't make much noise. She could hear Crazy Dash give another hiccup over the "din." Rainbow knew her kicks were impossibly weak, but her entire system seemed to be shutting down. "N-no…not now. You have to act now, Rainbow Dash! NOW!" Rainbow bucked the door with her hind legs. Despite the additional force, nopony noticed her.

Rainbow turned to face the window, licking her lips to try and rehydrate her dry throat.

Inside, Pinkie-Pie looked at the knife being wielded by her friend for a moment, before giggling and bouncing over towards Crazy Dash.

"PINKIE! YOU MORON! GET AWAY FOR HER! G-GET AWAY FROM EACH OTHER! SHE'S NOT REALLY BAD, SHE'S JUST VERY DUMB!" Rainbow wasn't even sure which pony she was yelling at.

Pinkie came WAY too close to Crazy Dash and chirped "Oh Dash, you silly filly! You got me good with that one! Never one to turn down an opportunity to prank, hu-"

One Rainbow let out an angry scream

Another Rainbow let out a horrified one.

A squirt of blood came out of the shoulder and stained Pinkie's shirt as the knife sank in.

"Dash…why…" Pinkie whispered when she realized what had happened.

"I told you *hic* to stay away...WHY COULDN'T YOU JUST STAY AWAY!" Crazy Dash seemed almost as horrified as her counterpart.

Pinkie was still alive…Ghost-Rainbow began slamming her entire body into the door. "You…you…YOU HURT PINKIE PIE! GET AWAY FROM HER, YOU _MONSTER_! Wake up! Whatever your problem is, Pinkie hasn't done anything yet! She just offered you cupcakes! GET AWAY! *hiccup* g-get away, please…"

Pinkie didn't answer. Rainbow was worried she was losing consciousness. Still…maybe Pinkie would faint and her doppelganger would leave, screaming like a maniac or even come to her senses and get Pinkie some help…although, she couldn't shake the feeling she was being impossibly optimistic, but she had to cling to some hope.

Then Rainbow heard something that made her blood run cold.

"N-no, she's my f-friend...I c-can't...I...I"

"What?" Rainbow just then realized what was going on. "YES! SHE IS YOUR FRIEND! FIGHT IT! DON'T LISTEN TO THE VOICES IN YOUR HEAD! THEY ARE VERY BAD VOICES!" Rainbow was yelling herself hoarse.

(And anybody who adds "pun not intended" to that paragraph is a terrible person.)

"P-please...P-pinkie...run...just run...oh god, PLEASE don't make me do this!"

"LISTEN TO HER! Pinkie! You have to get away…if you have any energy left, you need to use the last of your strength to get away from that crazy BI-!"

Suddenly, Pinkie did just that. She shoved her hooves up against Crazy Dash, and pushed herself off the mare to roll backwards, shoulder still bleeding. When she stopped rolling, Pinkie just lay there.

Both Rainbow Dashes looked at Pinkie. Ghost Dash was feeling some precious relief, but knew they weren't out of the woods yet. Pinkie needed medical attention.

Crazy Dash looked confused. Then, a look of anguish washed over her face. "Oh no. PINKIE! I'M SO SORRWwwwwy….."

She stumbled forward, and landed on her side. An emptied syringe dropped out of her and landed on the floor.

As her consciousness left her, Crazy Dash looked up to meet Pinkie's eyes across the way.

Pinkie smiled playfully, her shoulder not seeming to bother her at all.

"Now….you take a nap." The pink baker said matter-of-factly.

And indeed, Crazy Dash did. The last words she uttered were "I was…sorry…"

Ghost Dash looked on horrified as Pinkie threw off her shirt, revealing a strange amalgam of an armored vest with strange liquid packs covering it. When she removed the Vest, she hauled the other Rainbow deeper into shop.

Rainbow didn't know what to think now. Still, she followed Pinkie's movements through the mostly curtained windows, and noticed as Pinkie drug Rainbow's clone down to the basement, a look of pure excitement on her face.

"Pinkie?" Was all Rainbow could ask. She circled around the building, and went to a tiny half-window that was placed near the ground she remember seeing around Sugarcube corner before. It was covered with a curtain as well.

However… Dash could somehow see_ through _the curtain.

The room had decorations Rainbow couldn't, and didn't want to, make out. However, she could very clearly see that Pinkie was strapping the other Rainbow to a rack of some kind. She locked the blue pony's legs in braces, leaving her wings to hang free.

Then, she opened the pouch that was on her victim's chest with way more ease than its owner had, and pulled out a vicious looking polished knife that made Ghost Dash's stomach turn.

_So THAT was what she was trying to find._ Rainbow took a few minutes to take all this in, and had completely failed to notice when Pinkie had disappeared from her line of sight.

And also that the curtain had just _vanished_.

…_the hell?_ _Where'd Pinkie !NO,WHATAMITHINKING?FLYAWAY!FLLLLLYYYY!_

Indeed, Pinkie was staring right at Dash, her face separated by only a few inches of glass!

"AAAAAAAAHHHH!" Dash flew away, determined to get a head start away from Pinkie!

Darkie Pie giggled. "Don't go anywhere, okay?" She told her unconscious and restrained captive. And she ran out the door.

This was going to be the FUNNEST game of hide and seek EVER. Even if her Pinkie Sense meant she was the undefeated champion and Dashie was the easiest pony to tail ever.

The Hunt. Was on.


	10. Omake!

**The Dark Side**

_A My Little Pony fanfic and "Cupcakes Pinkie" rebuttal by Lord Xaos._

Omake* files!

*-Omake are non-canon extras to a story. Basically, this is a joke chapter.

* * *

><p>Pinkie Pie had no idea where she was. Or why these little critters where so glad to have a pony dead because Sugarcube corner had fallen on it. They burst into a happy little song about the gruesome event.<p>

Actually, she'd like to know just where she got this blue dress and white apron.

_"Ding Dong, the witch is dead! Which old witch? The wicked witch!"_

Seriously, this was…okay this was catchy, but it was just morbid. Suddenly the singing stopped and was replaced by an awed cry.

"It's Glinda! The Good Witch!" one of the munckin-ponies spoke up. And they all bowed. "Huh?" Pinkie turned around and saw….Zecora!

"Greetings to you, young filly of the pink hue." The Zebra was standing there, wearing the frilliest costume ever. Applejack would've died just from gazing at something so frou-frou-ie.

"You are the one who destroyed the wicked Witch of the East?" Zecora inquired

"I didn't mean to!" Pinkie protested. "I mean, its not like I planned to get swept away by a torna-"

"You did no harm, but rather service. The Witch was a most fearsome beast." Zecora consoled her.

Before Pinkie could ask some much needed follow up questions, a mighty explosions accompanied by a red smoke cloud erupted in the middle of the crowd of Munchkin-ponies. And there stood, in a pointy black hat and a dress made of ponyskin-HERSELF!

Once the other Pinkie Pie was done sneering at the Munchkins, she trotted over to the legs of the pony Pinkie's home had crushed. Pinkie turned to Zecora, recognizing this pony was quite obviously a Witch.

"Zecora, I thought you said she was dead…and also at least implied somewhere in there that she wasn't _me_."

"Glinda, dear. There is no Zecora who is near. That was her sister, Elista, the Wicked Witch of the East. This is Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West. She's worse than the other one and not merciful in the least." Zecora, I mean GLINDA Rhymed.

Elphie-Pie turned to Glindora and Pinkie and spoke in a menacing tone that was still undoubtedly Pinkie's own voice. She read a story to the Cutie Mark Crusaders using that voice. "_Who killed my sister_? Who killed the Witch of the East!" She turned to face Pinkie. "Was it you!"

"No! It was an accident, I didn't mean to kill anypony!" Pinkie pleaded helplessly while Zecora unhelpfully smiled behind her. _Help me out here, you crazy bitch! Tell me, what in the world makes you a __good__ witch?_

…_ARG! YOU HAVE ME THINKING IN RHYMES NOW! ...which isn't really new, its how I come up with lyrics for my songs but whenever I talk to you, I feel like its eating what little is left of my brain!_

"Well, my little pretty, _I_ can cause accidents, too!" Elphie-Pie menaced Pinkie. "I see you crushed poor Elista with a bakery. Well, my pretty, how'd you like to be the secret ingredient in a little cupcake recipe I've been working on?"

"Aren't you forgetting the ruby slippers? Now that they pass to you, I would've thought you'd be quite chipper." Glindora offered.

"_The slippers_." Elphie-Pie whispered. "YES! The slippers" She returned to the dead body, and crouched down do retrieve the red shoes off the Elista's hooves.

But then they disappeared. And Elista's body withered under Sugarcube Corner inexplicably. Elphie-Pie immediately turned back to Glindora. "The Slippers! What have you done with them? Give them back to me or I'll…"

"It's too late for that. There they are and there they'll stay." Pinkie suddenly realized that her hooves were covered in the Ruby slippers. "You'll never have them for all the rest of your days."

"You give them to me, now!" Elphie-Pie demanded.

Pinkie immediately tried desperately to take the slippers off, but to no avail. Pinkie's eyes went wide and she turned to Glindora. "WHAT? OH MY LUNA, WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT? NOW SHE'S NEVER GOING TO LEAVE ME BE!"

"Don't look so sadly. Their magic must be very powerful, or she wouldn't want them so badly." Zecora whispered conspiratorially into Pinkie's ear. "I don't care about tha-" Pinkie tried to get a word in edgewise, but she was interrupted by her Witch-clone.

"You stay out of this, Glinda! Or I'll fix you as well!" Elphie-Pie threatened.

Pinkie kept talking. Her mind was racing with complaints and clearly interrupting ponies was the only way to get any attention here. "And why would you just glue these shoes on my hooves? What if my feet get tired? What if I want to wash them or I clip a hoof? I mean DUH! I have a life outside your McGuff-hey!"

Glindora patted Pinkie on the head and giggled at Elphie-Pie. "Rubbish! You have no power here! Begone! I think I foresee another falling house landing on you in the near!"

Elphie-Pie flinched and looked to the sky.

"You should know, nothing's going to fall. I would've gotten a twitchy tail…" Pinkie offered. Everypony ignored her, as usual.

"Very well!" Elphie-Pie stated. "I'll bide my time." She pointed a hoof at Pinkie "AND AS FOR YOU, my fine pretty….its true I can't attend to you here and now as I'd like, but just try to stay out of my way. Just try!"

She smiled an evil smile. "I'll get you get yet my pretty, and your little dog, too!" She cackled before disappearing in red smoke again.

Pinkie blinked. "Dog? Is she talking about Gum-" She just noticed that by her side was Rainbow Dash! ….in a puppy suit.

"Arf. Arf. Arf." Rainbow barked. _I swear, I will MURDER whoever's idea this was._

"Ah yes, you're loyal dog Toto. But she'll be just one of the compainions that you will know." Glindora explained to the hopelessly confused pink filly.

"There will be the Scarecrow, who is in search of a brain. Be careful her stuffing doesn't get torn out, for fixing her is quite a pain." She motioned to a gray coated Pegasus with a blond mane and crossed eyes. Pinkie recognized her as Ditzy Doo, although she was wearing strange clothes with straw poking out of her.

"Life would be a ding a derry, if I only had a MUFFIN!" Ditzy sang merrily.

Zecora continued. "And next is this Tin Mare, who is a master of the magical art. She is in desperate need of a heart"

"Hey!" The Tin Mare complained. "The Great and Powerful Trixie resents what you're implying there!"

Zecora ignored Trixie. "And finally, there is a Lion. It is for a source of courage she would be eyein'."

"rar." Fluttershy in a lion costume quietly stated.

Zecora finished up with. "And to return home, you must see the Wizard of Oz, of lives in the Emerald city at the end of the yellow brick road. As for me, I leave you now and return to my abode."

And Zecora went away in a little pink bubble.

Pinkie just stood there. The munchkins had started another song, and her "companions" were cheering her one, calling her "Dorothy", but she wasn't listening.

Everypony...everypony here….was totally insane. She was thrust into a big scary, alien world where a witch (that looked like her) wanted to kill her to avenge her sister, and also where she, SHE, _Pinkie Pie_, was the only sane pony.

No amount of color and song in the universe could get her to ignore the forebodingly hopeless task in front of her. Her entire world went crumbling around her.

She could hardly breathe. She wanted to scream, wanted to berate, wanted to break down and cry. But she just couldn't manage to do much of anything.

Then Lionshy tentatively asked her "Dorothy? A-are you alright?'

Pinkie looked at Lionshy, with horror etched onto her face. Her lips moved, but not even Pinkie herself could be certain what it was she wanted to say until she just went and said it.

"Oatmeal? Are you crazy?" And then Pinkie ran away into the wilderness, laughing like a maniac. Her last sane thought was her wondering who it was that was "playing" Elista.

Everypony just stared after her. All was quiet. Until a cough was heard under the house.

Elista-Dash's voice came from under Sugarcube Corner. "Oh sure. Crush me under a house! You've already made me mess up not one, but two perfectly good offensives versus Pinkie Pie! One of which involved being choked by my own trophy! I swear, I get no respect around here! No respect at all!"

* * *

><p>Elphie-Pie:<p>

_AND NOPONY! _

_IN ALL OF OZ!_

_NO WIZARD THAT  
>THERE IS OR WAS<em>

_IS EVER GONNA_

_BRING. ME. DOWWWWWWWN!_

* * *

><p><span>What would Fluttershy's Dark side be like?<span>

**Take 1**:

Flutterlight: H-hello? Is anypony in there?

Flutterdark: *points obvious toy water gun at Flutterlight* "S-s-stop! Don't move or I w-w-will shoot!"

Flutterlight: AAAAHHHHH! *Shakes*

Flutterdark: WAAAHH! *drops gun to start trembling in place*

Flutterlight: Ah!

Flutterdark: Ah!

Flutterlight: Ah!

Flutterdark: Ah!

Applejack: *Rolling on the floor laughing.*

Rarity: *Has died from the absurd levels of Moe.*

**Take 2**:

Flutterdark *armed with same Water gun*: FREEZE! GIVE ME YOUR LUNCH MONEY OR I WILL SHOOT!

Flutterlight: AAH! O-okay...h-here's five bits...its all I have on me! Just promise me you won't shoot!

Rarity: Ah! No!

Applejack: Sugar cube...you DO know that's just a water gun, right?

Rarity: I know! But I can't let her ruin my mane!

Applejack: *rolls eyes* I'm not afraid of that!

Flutterdark: How brave of you to step forward! *points the gun at Applejack*

Flutterlight: NOOOO! APPLEJACK, DON'T BE A HERO! PLEASE, FORGIVE HER!

Flutterdark: The five bits I got from you are hardly enough to spare your life as well as that of your friends! But I shall show mercy this day! You better have even more next time!

*Flutterdark turns to leave. Fluttershy still trembling and Applejack just standing there, raising an eyebrow. Rarity gives a sigh of relief.*

Suddenly Flutterdark turns around and pumps the gun!

Flutterdark: Two FOR FLINCHING! *Squirt! Squirt!*

Applejack: WHAT THE HA-ACK! *Is squirted*

Rarity: AAAIIIIIEEEEEE! *Is also squirted*

Flutterlight: APPLEJACK! RARITY! NOOOOOOOOOO! YOU PROMISED YOU LEAVE THEM ALONE!

Flutterdark: AND LOTS AND LOTS FOR YOU! *Flies over Flutterlight, squirting her "lots and lots" ...which is technically only three squirts*

Flutterlight: AAAAAAHHH! *is soaked...lightly*

Flutterdark: *flies off, laughing manically...* "Oh Celestia...I'm was so *giggles a little as she speaks* ...naughty! I'm the greatest Evil Twin ever!"

Fluttershy just sits there, dripping wet and crying. Applejack, who has already shaken the water out of her coat, is trying hard to suppress a giggle. Rarity isn't speaking, but staring daggers into the direction Flutterdark retreated.

Applejack: "Ah..ah..pss…um! Fluttershy? Darlin'? Are you all right?"

Fluttershy: "I...I..." *Still sobs, but she starts to break into the cutest frown ever* "I'LL NEVER FORGIVE HER! SHE IS PURE **EVIL!**" *looks sad again* "I don't know if I can ever look at myself in the mirror again..." *frowns again, and stands up proud to make a declaration to the heavens* "BUT I CAN NEVER REST UNTIL EQUESTRIA IS RID OF THAT..THAT...**DEMON!"**

**Take 3**

Flutterdark: grr.

Flutterlight: *eyes widen*

Flutterdark: grrrrrrr…..

Flutterlight: …..*chuckles* oh my. How scary!

Flutterdark: *cries*

Flutterlight: oh! I-I'm sorry. You're very scary. Please don't cry.

Flutterdark: Leave me alone! *runs off crying*

Flutterlight: Oh Fluttershy…why'd you have to be such a bully?

Pinkie Pie: You should be ashamed!

**Take 4**

Darkie Pie: *is baking cupcakes* Lalalalala lala!

Flutterlight: *Crashes through the door, gasping for breath*

Darkie Pie: Oh! ….you came back! ….Of your own free will.

Flutterlight: SHH! g-g…get the….

Darkie Pie: WHAT WAS THAT? I DIDN'T QUITE HEAR YOU! *Is tackled by Fluttershy, a hoof placed over her mouth*

Flutterlight: Get. The. Lights. Lock the door. _QUICKLY! Before she gets here! Hurry! _*flies around, turning off the lights faster than she's ever done a task like this before*

Darkie Pie: *has already locked the door when nopony was looking* What's gotten into you?

Flutterlight: _HIDE! *ducks behind a chair*_

Darkie Pie: wha? *look at the window*

Flutterlight: NOOOO! MORON! GET BACK BEFORE ITS TOO LATE!

Darkie Pie: AAAAHH! *is now totally horrified*

Door: BANG! …..BANG! …..

Darkie Pie: *Grabs Flutterlight* What IS THAT? WHAT IS THAT?

Flutterlight: I-I told you to hide! *cries* There's no place to run now!

Door: BANG! *hinges start to break*

Darkie Pie: …...*looks a Flutterlight*

Flutterlight: …*looks at Darkie Pie*

Both: *Embrace each other, crying*

Door: *IS KNOCKED DOWN*

Dark Presence: *Enters house. Emits strange sparkly aura that lulls you to sleep*

Darkie Pie and Flutterlight: *Want to scream, but can't find their voice*

Dark Presence: *in echo-y voice* _Hush now, quiet now, its time to lay your sleepy head…_

Darkie Pie and Flutterlight: *Just stare, transfixed*

Dark Presence: _Hush now, quiet now its __**TIME TO GO TO**__**BEEEEEEED**_

Whoever discovers the bodies: *Will **NOT** have a strong enough fortitude to avoid vomiting up their own lungs*

* * *

><p><em>How this story COULD have gone.<em>

Rainbow Dash: *sits up in bed, covered in cold sweat* AAAAHHHH! Huff….puff….*feels overself* Oh Celestia…my wings…my cutie marks…I'm whole. Its just a dream. Just a dream. *cries*

*later*

Bon-bon: So, what IS different about these cupcakes?

Pinkie: Oh, you silly filly! If I told you, it wouldn't be a secret ingredient!

Rainbow Dash: *shudders* Calm down, Rainbow. You KNOW Pinkie isn't like that….right?

*later*

Rainbow: I have find out what's in that basement! *goes into basement* There's nothing here, but a map of Twilight's treehouse! ….wait. *hears somepony coming*

Pinkie Pie: *enters room* Hmm..I could've sworn I heard somepony down here

Rainbow Dash: *Hiding on ceiling, holding her breath, thinking to herself: _I'm a ninjapony, I'm a ninjapony, I'm a ninjapony_."

Pinkie Pie: Oh well…I'm probably just getting paranoid. *looks at map* Tonight's the night. Rarity and Applejack will be at Twilight's for another one of their…_sleepovers._

Rainbow: *thinking* _Why is Pinkie so angry when she says sleepover? Is she jealous she wasn't invited._

Pinkie: Maybe I should put this off for another…no. It has to be tonight. I'll take care of all three of them at once! *leaves basement*

Rainbow: *looks horrified* Oh now…Twilight. Rarity. Applejack! ….I'll be waiting for you there, Pinkie. And all four of us will put an end to your reign of terror!

*that night*

Rarity: Rainbow? Darling? Why are you hear? I didn't think you liked Sleepovers.

Rainbow: um…We need to talk. Mind if I come in?

Rarity: Certainly.

Applejack: Thar are plenty of Smores here!

Twilight: Oh yes, Rainbow, you simply must try some!

Rainbow: Oh, thanks! *eats Smore*

*later*

Rainbow: So, you see girls, I believe that Pinkie is coming here, sneaking through a secret door in Twilight's basement, and is planning to kill you and then she'll feed you to other ponies as Cupcakes!

Twilight: I can't believe this…but…alright. We'll stay up and wait for her. You are SURE she didn't see you?

Rainbow: I don't think I'd be alive if she did. I still can't believe it…but I don't think this can be a coincidence!

*later*

Rainbow: I've got you now, Pinkie! Help me hold her down, everypony!

Pinkie: D-dashie? No, Dashie…not you, too! I was heartbroken when I learned about Twilight and the others but…but…you….WHY DASHIE, WHY?

Rainbow: WHAT ARE YOU GOING ON ABOUT, YOU PSYCHOPATH? HOW DARE YOU TRY TO COOK YOUR FRIENDS INTO CUPCAKES? OF COURSE I'M GOING TO STOP YOU!

Pinkie: *forelegs are grabbed by Twilight and Rarity* C-Cupcakes? Dashie, what ARE you talking about! Twilight and the others have been grinding up ponies into-DASHIE WATCH OUT!

AJ: *Bonks Rainbow Dash on the head* "Ah reckon we should thank her when she comes too. She's such a brave filly. Spying on you for us when she thought you would murder her and warning us all about you."

Pinkie: No…No, Dashie, I'm sorry. I didn't know who I could trust…but…now too late, I realize…I should've told you…I should've just had anypony there to watch my back. *looks up* But you…how can you do this? To your neighbors? To your friends? To…to…TO FLUTTERSHY? I just…don't understand you at all!

Twilight: Fluttershy? Oh! That reminds me, we still have some strawberry flavoring left over!

Rarity: Oh…wonderful, darling! I can hardly wait! *cuddles against Pinkie Pie*

Applejack: I'll get the machine warmed up as soon as I'm done with Rainbow….

Rainbow: Piiiinkkkiiee…..

Applejack: *SMACK!*

Pinkie: *gasps* RAINBOW!

Coming this fall, a horror film that will chill you to the very bones they will grind into marshmallows.

From the maker of the movie adaptation of "Cupcakes" and "Slendershy", comes…

_**S'mores**_

Rainbow: *is tied up, crying, looking at a smore made with a melted pink Marshmallow.* W-what is that?

Twilight: Aw, Rainbow…you helped us get some more ingredients for more treats, so we thought that you should be the first to sample these. We made them Strawberry flavored.

Rainbow: Wha...? When did I help you get Marshmallow ingredients?

Rarity: Darling….don't you know what goes into a marshmallow? Well….REAL marshmallows? Not that chemical rubbish you find in the stores?

Rainbow: "Real?" I don't understand! And I don't care! Tell me what you did to Pinkie Pie!

AJ, Rarity, and Twilight: *exchange knowing smiles and giggles*

Applejack: You really shouldn't let her go to _waste_, Rainbow…It'd be downright disrespectful of you.

Rainbow: Wha….. *looks down at the Smore…and begins sobbing* No….no…..PINKIE! I'M SO SORRY! I'M SO SORRY I INTERFEMPH! *has Smore shoved into her face*

*trailer ends*


	11. Chapter 10: The Pink Dragon

_Author's Notice:_

_Okay. I would like to say I'm so so sorry if I've forgotten to post this one in , and also ask Why nopony ever told me chapter 10 was a repeat of the Omake files._

_...then again, I'm positive I had it up properly at one point, I think I just replaced the wrong chapter after editing. Oops._

_Anyway, I'm re-posting this chapter. Sorry if this causes a false alarm among readers._**  
><strong>

* * *

><p><strong>The Dark Side<strong>

_A My little Pony Fanfic by Lord Xaos_

_Chapter 10_

Rainbow could hardly think. Those eyes…_what was wrong with Pinkie's eyes_?

No light…no light at all reflected off of them.

Just moments before, she had seen the unthinkable. While being apparently invisible, Dash watched as a copy of her had attempted to kill Pinkie Pie…and then, as her clone wept, Pinkie had suddenly sedated her, and revealed that she wasn't harmed at all, thanks to a hidden armor vest/Blood packet suit. And then, after Pinkie strapped the doppelganger to a plank, Rainbow Dash was discovered!

Rainbow had flown away into the sky, trying to get away from those soulless eyes! She turned around to gaze at the bakery. No sooner had she done so then a Pink blur tore out of the door.

Rainbow was shaking…not really sure what to do. She could keep flying, but she had to land somewhere, sometime…and whenever she ran from Pinkie, that was usually the time that Pinkie appeared right beside her.

_Wait! If I'm visible now, then I can just get the attention of some other ponies to be wit...ness...ses…what? WHERE ARE THEY?_

"WHERE'D ALL THE OTHER PONIES GO!" Dash Screamed. Indeed, the streets of the bizarre Ponyville where empty. And the Fog from the forest was back. Suddenly she remembered who was following her, and her eyes darted back to the ground.

"Rainbow…." Pinkie's voice spoke hauntingly. "Rainbooooow…." She locked eyes with the pegasus. Rainbow didn't like the look she was giving her. Like she was hungry.

Rainbow darted to hide above a nearby rooftop. She poked her head over the side.

"P-pinkie…" Rainbow stammered

"Rainbow…come here." Pinkie motioned a hoof.

"I-I don't want to!"

"Come down right this instant, young lady! Before you hurt yourself!" Pinkie spoke the motherly command with lots of playful intent, but no warmth or actual concern at all.

"No!" Rainbow shouted petulantly. _Arrrg. Don't respond like you're her two-year-old filly, moron! _"What's going on with your eyes! WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOUR FAAAAACEE?"

"I have cupcaaaakes…yummy, yummy cupcaaakes." Pinkie offered in a sing-song voice.

_These would be the same cupcakes that made "Crazy me" crazy?_

"…NO! Crazy me didn't want those cupcakes, and neither do I! What'd you do to them? Poison them?"

"Grr…is NO pony going to willingly try my baking today?" Pinkie mumbled to herself. "Guess I'll have to make you eat one. They're really good today!"

Pinkie let out a haunting giggle. It unnerved Dash.

Rainbow pointed at Pinkie "Look, you can't get up here anyway, so you might as well just give up the other Rain-"

"UMPH!" Pinkie landed right next to Rainbow, whose eyes were wide with fear and astonishment. "Hi..." Pinkie moved her lips slowly, to over pronounce each syllable. "Daaa. Sssssshhheee!"

Rainbow stepped back. "No…h-how?" Pinkie advanced, smiling confidently. "IS THERE NOTHING YOU CANNOT DO!" Rainbow's voice was raising, betraying all sorts of weakness. But she couldn't help it.

"This game didn't last very long. I'm disappointed, but I got a lot to do." Pinkie mused. "Say, Dashie…would you like to help me?"

"h-help you? With what?" Dash's ears had flopped behind her head, her voice was cracking.

"Help me make…cupcakes?"

"P-pinkie, you know I'm not that good at baking." Dash could hear her own heavy breathing…she needed to calm down so she could fly…and to do that she needed to get away from this Pinkie and her creepy aura…and to do that she needed to calm do so she could fly.

"Don't worry, Dash." Pinkie smiled. "I'll be doing most of the work. You just have to lie still."

Rainbow's rump bumped into something. She had been backed, no _herded_, into the wall of the neighboring building's roof. Rainbow had already been crouching to just get further away from Pinkie, and now the Pink Mare towered over her.

"Don't struggle." Pinkie said.

Rainbow just shivered. _Move. Move!_

Pinkie leaned her head in behind Rainbow's face, to where she could whisper (and _breathe_) into Rainbow's ear.

"_You belong to me."_

The words shot through Rainbow's entire being. It was shocking, revolting, confusing, frightening, maddening, soul-crushing, the mess of emotions defied Rainbow's ability to explain…but one awakened feeling rose to dominance.

"_And you will keep quiet and look me in the eye"_

_Anger._

"_Cos I want to fu-"_

"RAARRRGG!" Rainbow bounded forward and HEAD BUTTED Pinkie.

"Ow!" Pinkie was knocked back.

Rainbow got unsteadily to her hooves and massaged the forehead she just used as a blunt instrument. She was still looking unsure, but a definite fire in her eyes.

"What was that? I _belong_ to you?" Rainbow took flight "_BELONG_!"

Pinkie was holding a hoof over her face. "Ow…my eyyyee…Dashie, you hurt me."

"Serves you right! You tricked and chained up that other Rainbow, and now you're trying to dominate me and do…whatever it is you're planning to do!"

"….heh. But I already told you what we're going to be doing. I sang it to you in your sleep."

"Whaaaa?"

A haunting melody escaped Pinkie's lips:

"_Well, here we are at last,_  
><em>You were always were a pleasure<em>  
><em>Are wondering why you're in a vice?<em>  
><em>Oh how we laughed and laughed<em>  
><em>Except...you're not laughing?<em>  
><em>What's the matter, Rainbow Dash?<em>  
><em>Am I not being so nice?"<em>

_whaa…where did I hear this…song? _Rainbow convulsed, her bravery leaving her as nightmare images flooded her mind.

* * *

><p>"Why do they call it a Hacksaw? Hacking is what I was doing with the knife."<p>

* * *

><p>Rainbow shook her head, as if trying to physically knock out the image of her battered wing, hacked tendons, and skinned flanks from her mind. "Wha…WHAT WAS THAT?"<p>

"I'm busy still explaining, you silly filly! Let me give you the final verse. Ahe-he-hem."

"_You'll be baked into Cupcakes!__  
><em>_That's what I'm planning on.__  
><em>_I want you inside of me!__  
><em>_Oh, I'll feel sad when you're gone__  
><em>_Nopony will know you're gone__  
><em>_Oh we will soon be as one...__"_

Rainbow had a few more forgotten memories come through her, but they were less potent than last time. She got two very important pieces of information from what she left of her clarity of mind.

1-This Pinkie…planned to kill her and eat her. _Both_ of her.

2-Pinkie was quietly but rapidly approaching while she sang, and Rainbow was not nearly as high as she needed to be, especially with Pinkie's incredible Jumping skills.

Pinkie gave her best Dragon's "RAAARRR!" as she leapt, Rainbow tried to ascend, but Pinkie successfully grabbed her hind legs.

"Get off! GET OFF!" Rainbow kicked her legs back and forth furiously, but she had nothing to brace against up in the sky.

Pinkie was starting to _climb_ Rainbow like a ladder, but more distressing than that was the syringe she was holding in her mouth. Where'd she been hiding that?

In desperation, Rainbow flew at top speed towards the nearest roof at an angle that she hoped would hit Pinkie but not herself.

CRASH!

Pinkie made a squeaking noise and she released Dash's legs just as some debris pelted Rainbow in that same moment, making her give out an audible "ouch!" and crash on top of the roof.

Rainbow took great gasps of breath and looked over herself…she didn't _think_ she got stuck.

Suddenly Rainbow had recalled a bit of advice Zecora told her:

* * *

><p>"<em>Although the Dark side and nightmares of the grove can be deceptive of whose they are,<em>

_Should you identify Pinkie Pie's you must retreat and stay back very far._

_For Pinkie Pie's sake, as well as that of your own._

_Think hard before Slaying Pinkie's Dark Side, lest you endanger Pinkie Pie_

_Also, unlike your own shadow, Pinkie's will rip your flesh and bone_

_Your nightmares must slowly break ALL of your spirit to win, _

_but other Shadows need only one killing blow and you will die._

_This is why there will be no reinforcements, why only you will go in."_

* * *

><p><em>uh…she said…"Something, something, something that rhymes with something, and only mess around with your own nightmare or Pinkie might die." Shit.<em>

With trepidation, Rainbow looked over at the rooftop. Not daring to call out.

_Huh? I don't see her anywhere_

Indeed, she was nowhere to be found.

Dash ventured a further look at the wall of the building.

"RRRAAAAR!" A Pink_ demon_ came into view

"AAAAIIEEE!" Rainbow shrieked in horror as she leapt into the air and started flying again. Barely dodging Pinkie as she leapt at her from around

_Sneaky, sneaky…Why haven't I run away yet? I'm not even allowed to get violent._

…_or am I? The other Dash…is this MY challenge?_

"Dashie. Come. Here." Pinkie ordered after she spat out the syringe. She was waving her hoof again. She was looking angry.

_Am I…supposed to save the other Rainbow from this Pinkie?_

"Dashie…are you spacing out on me again?"

…_I don't know. Zecora, why'd you have to be so vague? Its almost as if you were afraid of outright telling me "Everything in the Grove is just trying to trick you, grab the real Pinkie and avoid everything else."_

"_RAAAAARRR!" _A Pink Dragon made its displeasure known.

Rainbow's heart hurt from the jolt of surprise. Her entire body ached from the sudden interruption…but she kept flying.

She looked down at Pinkie, heart still racing, but she frowned at Pinkie. And made a declaration.

"No."

Pinkie stared back at her, then abruptly roared again. "RAAAARRR!"

Rainbow wasn't falling for this crap anymore. "No!"

Blood was pumping in her veins. It was time to wrap this up. Rainbow could almost hear a power-up song playing in the background. She needed a theme song.

Pinkie took in a deep breath….

"NO! YOU CAN JUST GO AHEAD AND GIVE UP ON THAT STUPI-"

"_**RRRRRRROOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAARRR!"**_

Rainbow's entire world shook. The roar echoed from all directions.

_Dragons. Dragons everywhere. All around. Can't get out._

Rainbow's eyes dilated.

The Blood in her veins froze.

The Music stopped.

But worse of all…

Her wings immediately stopped flapping and with a whiplash sound, they retracted themselves and became all but glued to her body.

And Rainbow fell to earth with a thud.

Pinkie jumped off the roof and trotted to catch Dash off guard before she could get away.

Rainbow, after much twitching helplessly to try and warm up her muscles, rolled back onto her stomach as the syringe came down. Once again, she had just barely escaped. She leapt to her hooves when she was right-side up again.

Pinkie let out another Mighty Roar that no pony should be able to produce.

Rainbow ran. It was hard to move at first, but she ran all the same.

She fled into mist…on hoof.

Pinkie smiled. _That's more like it…Run, little Dashie. Run. Maybe I'll have more fun chasing you after all._

Then…she examined the Syringe. It wasn't quite as full as she remembered it. She smiled.

_For about…I'm going to say…twenty minutes._

She began to hop after Rainbow. Both ponies disappeared into the mist.

* * *

><p>Pinkie Pie (who was busy trying to stitch her tail back on by using the hindlegs she curled behind her body as she lay on the bed of the hospital facing a mirror…and in no way chasing Rainbow Dash. The one that was chasing Rainbow Dash had her tail intact, did we mention that? You have been keeping up with the story, haven't you?) began to wonder about her circumstances.<p>

Such as…where exactly was she? Why did none of the ponies here see you unless they wanted to kill you? And also OW! …Why had she thought this was a good idea?

Equestria Ponies, as opposed to Earth Ponies (er…PLANET EARTH Ponies, that is), had remarkably flexible legs, and even hooves that had the ability to _wrap_ around items. Indeed, Ponyville was recorded to have been built by Earth ponies, and built by Earth Ponies it was! Pony legs and hooves couldn't do everything a human hand could do…but at the same time they could actually do some things hands couldn't do!

Doing the equivalent of bend your leg backwards or use your FEET to stitch something together for example.

And among these flexible ponies, Pinkie was in a class of her own.

And yet, despite all that, Pinkie had to admit that bending her legs back _AND_ sewing _your own flesh_ with her hind hooves was really, really hard. It didn't help that she rarely used her BACK hooves for anything and had no medical training whatsoever.

"Sigh…Pin the Tail on the Pony isn't very fun when it's your tail." Pinkie complained. Not whined, complained. It's VERY important to keep that distinction clear should you ever have to deal with a certain prissy white unicorn. "And..grr…umph…ARRRG! AND THESE STUPID BANGS KEEP FALLING IN MY FACE!"

Okay, THAT was whining.

Half an hour ago, Pinkie had observed her wound. It actually wasn't very deep, and she though she even saw some hair trying to grow back already. But it was humiliating to be going around tailless.

She had placed a bandage on top of her wound and it…it…Pinkie supposed she should've laughed it off. And it wasn't like anypony around would notice it to be in a position to laugh at her but…

It was humiliating. It…it just was. That big, white "X" on her behind. Reminded her of some ragged, patched up, _abandoned,_ stuffed toy. Actually, her entire body fit that description after her fight with Rainbow and her flight through the storm.

Her image in the mirror…okay, foal's toys tend not to get bloody and bruised like she was, but…she didn't recognize the pony looking back at her.

That was the problem.

The fallen bangs…she had no idea why, but her mane just didn't seem to have any life to it whenever she was sad. The last time she wore her hair like this, she had falsely believed her friends had abandoned her and didn't want to be with her anymore. Pinkie was glad to be proven wrong, but ever since that day, she had begun to equate that hairstyle with certain parts of her personality she didn't like. Her bitterness, her distrust, unhappiness itself…and they were damned annoying in of themselves.

The rest of her body did not remind her of herself. The cuts, the bruises… And that hideous bandage was the worse of the lot. It did make her look broken. And although today had been terrible beyond words, she just couldn't take _looking_ so defeated. So, she tore it off (yelping with pain all the way as some of the hair had gotten mixed with the blood and the bandage) and decided to do something about her tail at least.

And even though none of the ponies at the hospital would help her, Pinkie found that she could easily take some medical supplies and attempt to fix her own tail. She tore the bandage off her wound.

But…it was clearly hopeless.

And yet, in giving up, Pinkie realized why it was that she wanted to look like herself again.

She was lonely. And she wanted her friends. She was worried that, if she let herself fall to pieces like that…she really would just become some other pony and no one would recognize her.

Ever since meeting her doppelganger and dying…she didn't _feel_ like Pinkie Pie anymore. She was looking more and more like….like…._Pinkamena_. From before she got her cutie mark…

Suddenly, Pinkie caught glimpse of it in the mirror…her cutie mark.

The three happy little balloons that represented her wish that everypony could share in the smiles and laughter she had ever since Dashie's Rainboom erupted into her life. The thought alone brought a smile to her face. No matter what, Meanie Pie was never going to get them…ever again.

As soon as that quick little wave of happiness washed over her…something clicked in Pinkie's mind.

_What's been happening to me? I mean…how much time have I wasted in here, worrying about my stupid looks when there could be a Sweetie Bell or even a Rainbow Dash in danger!_

_I was supposed to just get somepony's attention, and see if they thought I needed immediate attention, and while they were at it, some other pony would get the towns' attention to save Sweetie Bell from my …"Imposter"…and failing that, I was supposed to leave after checking to my wound. I was supposed to forget about my stupid tail._

_But instead, I take one look at my appearance, and I've wasted 40 minutes in front of this mirror! Stupid, stupid Pinkie!_

_Stupid Pinkamena!_

"But…" Pinkie said out loud, "I suppose I was worried not that they wouldn't see me, but rather that they'd see another side of me. The side that yelled at all of them at the surprise party.

The side of me that called a bunch of inanimate objects my 'real friends.'"

_I'm just glad none of them ponies showed up!_

Pinkie blinked. That sounded like it came from inside the empty hospital room.

"H-hello? Who said that?"

_Not so bad? PUL-LEEZ! They're a bunch of losers!_

"Shut up."

_After the way they treated you? I'd say "losers" isn't strong enough!_

"Shut up! SHUTUPSHUTUPSHUTUP!" Pinkie stomped her hooves as she railed against the darkness of her own mind.

_If I were you, I wouldn't speak to them ever again…_

"SHUT! UP! STUPID! TURNIPS!" Pinkie continued screaming at the air around her "I ALREADY HAVE ENOUGH INNER DEMONS MANIFESTING INTO FLESH TO DEAL WITH HERE, I AM *NOT* PUTTING UP WITH ANYMORE!

"Oh come on" A voice from the mirror called.

Pinkie looked at the mirror.

A gloomy void of pitch black had covered the mirror, all except for Pinkie's reflection. Pinkie's reflection was in the form of a mare drained of all color, so that she appeared Gray and not Pink.

"_**Can't you make room for just one more**__?" Grayamena Diane Pie_ spoke. The darkness of the mirror began to stretch out like tendrils of smoke into the real world…

"NOOOO!" Pinkie bucked a nearby cabinet at the mirror and broke it.

Hyperventilating, Pinkie stared at the ruins of the mirror. "Am I going_ crazy_? Or…is this just normal for mirrors to do now?"

She ran out the door, not really sure where she was going (after all, she still had no idea where to find Sugarcube corner.) She ran _through_ a very confused Nurse Tenderheart, who had was wondering how in the world that mirror got broken.

Pinkie wasn't sure if what she saw was even real or not…or if anything was real.

* * *

><p>Rainbow Dash ran. She just ran. She ran so far away.<p>

She couldn't get away.

_Come on…flap, you stupid wings! Flap!_

Try as she might, her wings wouldn't move. Her body was still chilled with fear. She was getting some blood pumping through her body, but her body still wasn't moving right.

It wasn't just fear. The fog that had covered Ponyville was freezing! It made her feel like her wings were actually sticking to her body. Was this what had happened to Fluttershy on the way up the Dragon's mountain?

Rainbow had scoffed at that, and thought that Fluttershy was just causing trouble for Applejack when AJ had to take her around the mountain. But right now…

She'd take it back. She was stupid. Dragons are terrifying! And they are even worse when they are…

"RAAAARR!" Pinkie roared once more. It was her normal voice, but it still made Dash's heart stop.

Especially when you factored in that she had somehow gotten in front of Rainbow. _Again!_

Dash swerved and tried to turn away from Pinkie's path, and she darted forward as soon as righted herself once again. She was breathing heavily…she didn't waste any time on screaming or talking.

_Just run…run…ruuuunnnn…_

Rainbow shook her head. Her vision was getting hazy again. It was hard to tell with all this fog, but…something was obviously wrong.

Rainbow couldn't think straight. Rational thought escaped her entirely. She had become as a frightened animal…the wolves were coming for her.

But, Rainbow couldn't run anymore…her legs were burning. So, she took her last stand. Using all the rest of her strength to put her back to a nearby wall…and dart her head around, waiting for Pinkie to come for her…

_Where is she? Where is she coming from next?_

Then something reached Dash's ears.

A laugh.

It was a girlish little giggle, but it seemed to come from both everywhere and nowhere at once…where was she?

She wasn't to right…at least, not as far as Dash could see in the fog.

She wasn't coming from the left…

She wasn't coming from in front…

And she definitely wasn't coming from behind or below…those were blocked off.

Rainbow heard another giggle, and realized there was one direction she hadn't looked yet.

She looked up.

"Ooooh! Very good!" A Pink smudge was there, clapping her hooves against the roof. "Bravo! Bravo! Dashie is smart!"

_Whoa…is that…oh Celestia, why is my body so heavy…?_

"Dashie! Catch meeee!" Pinkie jumped off the roof.

It wasn't like Dash had a choice. She was completely shocked by this move AND her legs her locked out from standing in place.

"OOPH!" The two mares crashed to the ground.

Pinkie hopped off of Rainbow, and observed her victim.

Her victim had begun to curl into a little ball…shaking. But she was doing it verrrrry slowly…

"F-Fluttershy….help me…." Was all Rainbow could say as she gazed into the eyes of the Smiling Dragon looming over her.

"The sedative seems to be moving through your system pretty quickly. I guess you helped it spread into your blood stream by running so much, although it is kind of chilly out here, too."

Pinkie smirked.

"You just curl up and go to sleep, Dashie. I'll take you home. Just leave it all to your Auntie Pinkie Pie!" She bit Dash's tail…and began dragging her away.

Rainbow, her vision fading, saw the wall she was standing against travel away from her as she was dragged through the dirt…

_I don't want her to take me away…help me…somepony…please?_


	12. Omake files 2

The Dark Side

Omake files, part 2

This is not part of the story, these are non-cannon Extras

Warning: this Omake contains copious amounts of SHIPPING as well as TROLLESTIA. Might include some naughty references.

* * *

><p>Cupcakes meets Misery<p>

Pinkie: Now…you take a nap!

Rainbow: Actually, I switched the glasses.

Pinkie: ….huh? What are you zzzzzzzzz….. *faints*

Pinkie: *Wakes up in a strange bed, finds legs have been broken, Rainbow grinning over her with adoring eyes*

"Huh."

Rainbow: *blinks* "You're taking this...better than I thought you would."

Pinkie: "Um...eheheh. *grins* I just find it ironic is all."

Rainbow: "How so? Oh...you mean the baking my meat into cupcakes thing?"

Pinkie: *eye dilates in realization* "...what are you going to do to me?"

Rainbow: "..." *steps forward*

Pinkie: *shrinks back, but her broken legs ache as she moves* "Ouch! D-dashie, please...I-I..."

Rainbow: *smooch*

RD and PP: *exchange looks*

Rainbow: "They already know. I'm afraid the very first thing they're going to do when they discover you've gone missing is look under the basement." *smiles* "It's okay, Pinkie. They'll never find you here."

Pinkie: "Where are we, Dashie?"

Rainbow: "Somewhere were we can be together...I've actually been hiding some shameful feelings about you, Pinkie...but now that you need me, they are feelings I'm not ashamed off anymore. Because they are right. I have to protect you-" *eyes get creepy* "For. ev. errrrr..."

Pinkie: "…Why isn't my knee pinchy?"

Rainbow: "Is your back itchy?"

Pinkie: "Um..."

Rainbow: "Because you see...I'm not going to eat you, but that doesn't mean I don't want a taste."

Pinkie: *Blushes, flails her forelegs at Dash, but then, her eyes widen* "ooo..oooh, D-d-dashie...hey, gimme your wing!" *licks thin, sensitive flesh that lies between feathers*

Rainbow: "Eee! S-stoppit Pinkie, that tickles!"

*much later…..*

Rainbow: "Isn't the sunset beautiful, Pinkie?"  
>Pinkie: "Dashie?"<br>Rainbow: "Yes?"  
>Pinkie: "...I want a pony."<br>Rainbow: "D'awww..." *ruffles Pinkie's mane*  
>Pinkie: "No, I mean, like, for Cupcakes."<br>Rainbow: "I heard you the first time."  
>Pinkie: "Humph!" *crosses forelegs and pouts*<p>

* * *

><p><strong>Pinkie reads Cupcakes <strong>

**(And Trollestia finally gets it!)**

_Inspired by a certain fancomic:_

(.com/?qh=§ion=&global=1&q=Pinkie+reads+cupcakes#/d41bb5n)

It was a Happy, Sunny day in Ponyville.

Pinkie was bouncing along, thinking about what kind of party she was going to throw next. Somepony might wonder how Pinkie keeps finding the energy to celebrate…or even where she keeps finding new things to celebrate. It wasn't everyday that a new pony come to town, after all. After all, Pinkie had a "Hooray! Winter-Wrap up was on time!" party immediately followed by a "Spring has Sprung" party.

One might wonder how she manages to keep coming up with names or occasions for parties, at least.

_I've barely scratched the surface, foolish mortals! I, Pinkie Pie, will never let an opportunity for cheer and merriment escape my scrutinizing eyes! I might throw a party just over today being a relentlessly normal day if it comes down to it! Yay, Status Quo Appreciation Day party! Go, SQAD! Hee hee, "Sqad". I made a funny word! See, I made myself laugh just by walking down the street! I'm UNSTOPPABLE, YOU FOALS! UNSTOPPABLE!"_

Pinkie let out maniacal laugh as she skipped down the street, startling onlookers around the park before they all rolled their eyes realizing she was just being Pinkie Pie.

(Lyra, however, shot up from her unnatural position on the bench and lost her balance trying to sit straight up, and fell out the bench, somehow landing horn-first on the ground. She was alright, but an upside down and very surprised Bon Bon was going from looking up at her and she couldn't figure out why.

She was somehow being perfectly supported by her tiny horn, having been driven more than ¾ of its length down into the ground. Surprisingly sturdy, those unicorn horns.)

Pinkie thought she heard girlish giggling coming from somewhere far off, but she was having too much fun bouncing down the street. But she was too busy bouncing down the street and seeing a notepad lying on the ground labeled "Cupcakes" out of the corner of her eye to-hey, wait a sec.

"Whoa!"

Pinkie found herself landing face first in the dirt. She been distracted, and landed wrong. Rising back to her feet, she turned around and examind the notebook.

"Ooooh! 3 Does that say CUPCAKES? I LOVE cupcakes!" Pinkie squealed.

Unaware of the malevolent forces snickering as they left the premises, Pinkie opened the book and began reading. To her astonishment, it was starring Rainbow Dash!

That should've been her first warning sign, but Pinkie simply couldn't help but get excited of the prospect to be reading a story about her friends and it somehow involving Cupcakes too!

This was going to be the best story ever…

…..

…..

*20 minutes later*

"Pinkie Pie, what gives?" Rainbow Dash grunted. "You're freaking me out here! Stop hugging me so tight!"

Pinkie was holding Dash close to her body with her eyes stark and wide and full of tears. She was shivering slightly, and above all else, completely unwilling to let go of Rainbow Dash, like she still wasn't certain.

"Pinkie! Let go! Pinkie! ….Pinkie? Are you _crying_?"

Pinkie as if breaking out of a trance, took one look at Rainbow….and began blubbering come.

Dash was caught of guard, and her forelegs were pinned to her side, so she just began trying to talk Pinkie down.

"It's okay…it's okay…just breath, Pinkie Pie. What in the world happened to you, anyway? Come on, Pinkie…you never cry! …without immediately following up with a 'hey! You know what this needs? A party!' or something like that. *sniff* Oh, not cool, Pinkie, y-you're making me feel *sniff* sad…"

And both ponies broke down crying.

*later that afternoon*

Twilight Sparkle paced, looking at the open Notebook labeled Cupcakes. It was a

"So, find anything out about the author yet? Are you sure I shouldn't read it? I could help you, you know…" Spike offered

"NO!" Twilight rose her voice at the baby dragon before softening. "eheheh…no. Spike, trust me, you wouldn't like what's in this notebook. Its…boring."

"Uh huh…." Spike crossed his arms, looking skeptical.

"Look…just no peeking in this book or no gems for a week!"

"Hear that, Spike?" Nyx giggled. (Yes, Past Sins is in here now. This is an Omake, ANYTHING can happen! Its all off the books!)

"And that goes for you too, young lady! No reading this book, or you will be so beyond grounded… Now enough of this…I need to…fo…cus…"

Twilight's blood ran cold. She just realized who the author was.

The air around Twilight's mane and air began to ripple, causing Nyx and Spike to look at her in alarm. Then Twilight's eyes started to glow.

"Kids, could you step outside for a moment?" Twilight said very slowly and dangerously.

Spike and Nyx both gulped and ran out of the treehouse.

Twilight inhaled…and 15 seconds later, on the outskirts of Ponyville, Fluttershy had gotten over the shock of the great blast of sound enough to say "Oh….my."

*later that evening…*

Celestia had returned to Canterlot after her brief disappearance. When Luna asked her where in Equestria she had been and why she hadn't told anypony, Celestia just snickered and said it was just a little something she had to take care of. Top Secret. National Security reasons.

She wasn't positive Luna believed her, but she didn't press the issue.

When she retired to her quarters, she allowed a smirk to pass over her face. Confident in her victory over the pink one. She had to be patient and magnanimous with all her subjects regardless of what they did (Case in point: Blueblood was STILL not yet banished to the Moon). Still, that's the last time the Element of Laughter would steal HER cupcake right in front of her. Maybe she'd be sure that at the next gathering the Earth Pony would be served a full tray of Cupcakes while sitting next to Celestia, and then the Princess would ask her "Are you going to eat that?" and watch her reaction.

_Oh Celly, you're so naughty! _The Princess thought to herself.

She noticed she had a scroll from her faithful student, Twilight Sparkle! She always enjoyed hearing from Twilight and her reports on the magic of friendship, but there was a chance she'd mention news on her success over Pinkie. Without hesitation, the Princess read the letter:

_Dear Princess Celestia. It's Luna's Baby pictures!_

_ Today I learned a very important lesson about when to not take pranks seriously. Its important to stay calm and remember that your friends' little pranks they on you are done to lighten the mood and its just another way they show affection and shouldn't be taken seriously. So you should lighten up, have fun, and remember they are laughing with you._

Celestia was inclined to agree. She knew just how uptight some ponies could be. She kept reading.

_ But there are times, when it is DECIDELY the time to take it seriously._

"Uh oh." Celestia said, getting an ominous feeling.

_Today Pinkie found a strange little notebook that contained a story of her and her friends. In the story she was doing the most …__horrible__ things to Rainbow Dash! Pinkie was treated to a horror story where she murdered her best friend and cooked her flesh in baked goods she then served to the Ponyvillians. It was entitled "Cupcakes"…by an author with the pen name by "Sergeant Sprinkles."_

_ Now, actually, I happen to be a lover of ghost stories, and this actually isn't…THAT much worse from some of the stuff I've told around in. And indeed, if I'm fair, its not really the content of this story that I take issue with. In fact, I'd say that whoever this "Sergeant Sprinkles" is, sounds like a very creative pony and this story would make a wonderful addition to any horror library. Indeed, if the pony in question was misunderstood for their work, I'd come to the good Sergeant's defense…_

_ …In some __other__ universe where the two stars of the story weren't real ponies. Also, as I have it, I believe, after carefully studying the story that has left Pinkie a crying mess and Rainbow locked in her cloud house since this afternoon, I now know who Sgt. Sprinkles is._

_ Princess! I trusted you to keep everything confidential when I told you about those misgiving I had about Pinkie's mental state! I mean, I saved a copy of those letters! There all right here! Ugh…I can't believe some of the things I said. Oh wow. "I fear that one day her endless sugar high will crash and her depression will kill us all." And then it seemed to have happened on her Birthday party. But…_

_ I've changed since then. Talking about the "Pinkamena" incident with you calmed me down a lot, and I know that I'm not perfect. But I never would've shared it with you, if I knew you were going to be doing something like this! In fact…I can't just write it down anymore. I'm casting a "Howler" spell on this message and I'm going to enchant a glyp-_

Celestia peeled her gaze away from the bottom of the letter, she had barely avoided reading the glyph. But she made it.

However, the top of the letter had a message in the upper right hand corner. Celestia had ignored that corner out of force of habit but now she read:

_It's Luna's baby pictures!_

Curiosity seized Celestia's mind. Far too late, the Princess realized it was a trap. The Glyph was, of course, nothing of the sort. Cameras weren't invented when Luna was an infant.

The letter came to like and began a tirade in Twilight's voice:

"NOW LISTEN UP, _TROLLESTIA_, I LOOKED UP TO YOU AND YOU HURT MY-"

"Well..." Celestia moaned. "I guess I walked right into that one."

* * *

><p><strong>DELETED SCENE FROM CHAPTER 11<strong>

(This was set after Rainbow regained consciousness and "Rocket" Rainbow's body had already been removed.)

"Well, just so you know…I had a dream about you, too!"

"Oh, really?" Pinkie asked with mock surprise "I'm so flattered!"

"It was horrible. The worse dream ever. I nearly forgot it. Before I remembered it just now."

"Oh come on…you only had it last night."

"No….no, this one was on the day of Gummy's party. My memories of it almost faded."

"Really? Well, go on then! Tell me what it was about! Because I remember what happened the day after that!" Pinkie sneered and turned her head away.

"IT WAS ABOUT YOU BEING GONE!" Dash yelled at the top of her exhausted voice.

"W-what?" Pinkie seemed genuinely shocked.

"I-it wasn't a normal nightmare about watching you die…t-that had already happened. And you were just…gone. The color went out of the world, the entire dream was all our friends being sad without…without….WITHOUT YOU BEING RANDOM AND STUPIDLY ADORABLE EVERYWHERE WE WENT!"

Pinkie just stared, wide-eyed.

"When I woke up, I ran out the door, desperate to see if you were okay…a-and then *sob* I saw you in that Balloon of yours, giving me a Singing Telegram! I never told you…how happy I was to see…N-no. This. Is. Wrong."

Pinkie seemed to be trying regain her composure. "I'll say. You stopped liking my parties after that day! You aban-"

"SHUT UP! YOU'RE NOT THE REAL PINKIE! YOU DON'T EVEN HAVE REAL FEELINGS! YOU'RE JUST A TWISTED SHADOW OF HER LIKE ZECORA WARNED ME ABOUT!" Rainbow bellowed. Her voice raspy, the pegasus continued as tears she didn't know she still had in her streamed down her face.

"How dare you say those things with Pinkie's voice! How dare you grin like that with with Pinkie's face! How. Dare. You. Try. To. Ruin. My. Image. Of. My**. **_Wonderful_…._Innocent_…_Irreplacable_…. **Friend!**" Rainbow rasped

The bloodstained Pinkie actually clasped her hooves over her mouth.

"Pinkie Pie would never do what you have done. She would never even _think_ it. I don't believe you. You're a fake. You're not even Pinkie at her worse. What WAS the worse thing she did? Go Emo and party with some turnips? Otherwise just general rough housing? That's it?"

"What…I….I…" the Monster was actually sobbing. Those tears rolling down her cheeks seemed to be defying some kind of Natural Order of Things.

Rainbow wasn't moved. "Stop crying! Just go ahead and k-kill me now!" Rainbow cursed herself for letting that one word almost stick in her throat. "There's nothing else for you TO do to me." Rainbow choked "Because while I hate you with all my heart, I'm still rooting…for the real Pinkie. You'll never convince me you are anything but a *hic* -a TWISTED IMAGE of my best friend."

Dash shut her eyes and looked away from Pinkie. "I can't even look at you anymore! Damn you! I'm letting you in! You can *hic* take my life…but won't replace my true memories of Pinkie Pie!"

The pink mare ran out of the room, sobbing.

Rainbow tried to yell, but her voice was incredibly weak "Come back…come back…if you're really going soft _now_ of all times…let me go…I don't like being stuck here."

_What was with the other Pinkie? Was that another trick…or did I actually strike a nerve? Its gotta be a trick…its just gotta be! Where's my Pinkie? Will I ever see her again? Will I ever see any of my friends again?_

(Of course, Dark Pinkie would come in later, and still offer Rainbow the cupcake, but she would be acting all strange and quiet as she did it…and then pull a complete 180 when Rainbow finally ate it. AND then Rainbow would pass out, etc. etc…

I couldn't decide if the scene helped or hurt the story….I guess it just struck me as melodramatic. And it was inspired by "Pretty in Pink's" concept….which might be a little confusing.

Also, I think I was going to go for the same effect the Joker in Dark Knight went for with his contradictory backstories concerning his scars. Dark Pinkie giving false accounts of why's she's so evil in her "universe" and stuff like that. But I had nothing to follow up with that little character quirk. And all these facets of the story were starting to look like they were distracting from the plot.)

* * *

><p>Rainbow Dash *in unknown other basement, in straightjacket, but facing window*:<p>

_Somewhere…out theeeere_

_Beneath the pale moonlight,_

_Someone's thinking of me_

_And loving me tonight_

Pinkie Pie:

_Somewhere out there_

_Someone's saying a prayer_

_That we'll find one another_

_In that big somewhere out there_

_And even though I know how very far away we are_

_It helps to think we might be wishing on the same bright star_

Rainbow Dash:

_And when the night wind starts to sing_

_A lonesome lullabye_

_It helps to think_

_We're sleeping under the same big skyyyyy_

(Rolls her eyes skyward like she did in her portion "At the Gala")

Both: (Start the Duet)

_Somewhereeeee, Out th-_

Lord Xaos:

STOP! STOP! Stop. Stop, okay? Stop.

Pinkie: Aw…It was just getting good!

Rainbow: Yeah, What's the problem?

Lord Xaos: Rarity has died.

Both: WHAT?

Lord Xaos: Once _again_, she couldn't handle TEH MOE, she's a sensitive little marshmallow. So, we're cutting this music video short. Sigh… *gets out ventilator* LIVE DAMMIT, LIIIIIIVE!

Rarity: Gurgle…_somewhere out there_…_if love can see us throoough…_

PP and RD: *smile*

All three: _Then we'll be together…_

Lord Xaos: *Shrugs, joins in*

_Somewhere out there…out where Dreams come Truuuuue…_


	13. Chapter 11 and 12: Double Chapter, OMG!

Well…some of you wanted a rewrite of this chapter from the original Chapter 11 being too emotionally intense. One reader at quit the story. And also apparently stopped eating the actual pastry cupcakes.

Unable to get readers to pinpoint the exact point where things went above their threshold, I've decided to change just a few fundamental things about the chapter that should make it..hm...20% less soul crushing in general. It started just as a rewrite, but really, its more of a MERGING of two chapters into one big adventure! The changes speed up the plot a bit, and the end result is that these events compliment each other…make each other brighter…or at least less dark…than they would be alone.

It's still a story that contains Dark Pinkie, and she is naturally going to be as soft and cuddly and wholesome as a ground beef processing plant. She still does the same grotesque things she did in Chapter 6. But…don't get too scared. Things really are different this time. A certain character is not going to cooperate with her this time. Now, this character is going to be wrecking her own havoc, but this should be quite interesting.

In fact, I think you'll agree that it's freaking awesome.

I'm making "Double Rainbow" by Paul "Bear" Vasquez the official song of this chapter.

Enjoy!

* * *

><p><strong>The Dark Side, Chapter 11 rewrite + Chapter 12<strong>

_Combo Chapter!_

_By Lord Xaos. _

_I don't own My Little pony. Based off of Sgt. Sprinkles' story "Cupcakes" multitude references, I'm an unoriginal __whore__, etc, etc._

Another shadow-space conversation was taking place in the Darkest Grove.

"_And then I'll be showing some footage of the Wonderbolts! Oh my gosh, I'm getting excited, are you excited? I've never been so excited, except maybe for the time that I went 'kill, kill, kill, mom, mom, mom…', but really, who could top that?"_

"_Yeah…Shadamena? No. I've got better things to do than be your sick surgery doll."_

"_Anyway, that's when I'll bring out the harvesting tools and…"_

"_I said no!"_

"_Huh? S-Shadash?"_

"_I've been on board with your plan so far, but I'm skipping out of this phase, and getting on to the part where I get to play. "_

"_OH COME ON! It's not like it'll hurt! And besides, you get so thoroughly in character when you're with Pinkie Pie, It's almost like you're actually are sad for your friend!"_

"_And if I follow through on this, I'll have to wait for you to sew my organs back in before I can do that, and Pinkie might get here and you'll have to throw me somewhere out of sight and I'll have to wait even LONGER…And I'm not sure I approve of ANY situation that involves me being tied up by you."_

"_But…Dashie will wake up any minute now! What am I supposed to do? Tell ghost stories? And how do I explain your disappearance?"_

"_Use a Dream Rainbow Dash."_

"_There. Are. none! I can't use Rainbow Dash's memories to produce a Rainbow Dash!"_

"_Actually…you can. Thanks to your amazing foresight."_

"…_I don't understand."_

"_Look, sweetie. You're some kind of moron, so I'll explain it to you nice and slow. With your little singing concert last night, you created a brief, half-forgotten nightmare, but one just the same. It included…this."_

"_GASP!"_

"_Yep. It was less than a second, but somehow you thought to do something not useless and project an image from Pinkie's Nightmare to the one you gave Dash last night. Well, have fun with that. I'm off!"_

"_W-wait! What am I supposed to do with a victim whose already dead?"_

"_You're creative. I'm sure you can find SOMETHING horrifying…"_

"_But…This scene benefits you as well! How can you just turn your back on this opportunity?"_

"_You forget. 99% of the reason I'm doing this is because I hate your guts. And…this scene is SO intense, that when Dash finds out I was part of this, it might compromise our…relationship."_

"_Relationship? You want to take her over!"_

"_And the best way to do that is to convince her that I know what's best for the both of us. That It's us against the world. That I was always right. And If I go through with this, that will throw all of that into question!"_

"_But…"_

"_And speaking of being right, I'm going to leave now and see if I can't find some trace of you in that Saccharine little brat you call a light side. This is the part of your plan that doesn't suck. Because you have to be in there somewhere. Anyway, I'm spreading the fog to Pinkie's location now. Have fun playing with dolls! Later!"_

"_WAIT! YOU GET BACK HERE! Raaaaaaarrrgggghhh!"_

* * *

><p>Pinkie Pie had started to regain some of her color. Her mane was still straight, but it was just barely starting to curl. She had cracked the riddle of this Shadow Ponyville:<p>

-The entire town was flipped over, so that things that were on the eastern side of town in her Ponyville were on the western side here, and vice versa.

-The streets were also inverted, so that when she was looking at the dinner from the playground, it seemed to have been in the exact correct place, slowing down Pinkie's revelation that something was wrong. However, the town couldn't hide the street signs from her!

Pinkie was so proud of herself. "Take that, you stupid town! I AM a smart pony!" Pinkie hoof-pumped the air, a broad smile on her face. And now that she knew where everything was, she could head straight for…straight for…

Gulp.

Sugarcube Corner.

(Even if her Doppelganger wasn't there, the cupcakes would be. …Oh, and Pinkie would have NO idea where to look for Sweetie Bell.)

It was about that time that the fog started rolling in. Pinkie took note of the pinchy feeling she was getting in her knees.

Suddenly, a shadow dashed over her. She looked up to the sky just in time to see…

Pinkie screamed as a something _Rocketed_ right towards her at an _insane_ speed! She hit the dirt and covered her head with her hooves, not certain what in the world was happening now.

There was a moment of silence, unsettling in contrast to the sudden start she had just been given a moment ago.

"Hello, Pinkie." A much-too-calm voice spoke.

Pinkie uncovered her head and looked up. "D-dashie?"

* * *

><p>All was Darkness.<p>

All was pitch black nothingness.

She slept a dreamless sleep. Not aware of anything in the world. If one were listening to her thoughts, they might be inclined to ponder, just from the silence, if she was dead.

A flicker of consciousness began to decipher the sensations it felt. Her back muscles were sore and uncomfortable, it was probably this discomfort that hinted to her she was actually alive. She felt warm on top, but cold on bottom, like she had been wrapped on. She thought she smelled the scent of some kind of polish…wait….wait…what WERE all these strange, barely noticeable smells?

Also…why was it so hot? And bright?

Then, Rainbow Dash opened her eyes.

Light flooded in, and she looked down, away from the light. As the spots cleared, she saw that her forelegs and wings were wrapped up in a straight jacket. She was tied to something.

It took her a moment to adjust to the twin lamps shining down on her from on high…but something was RIGHT in front of her face. Dash blinked to clear the spots before her eyes and focused on the dark frame before her. She finally began to make out its features….

And she immediately screamed.

Staring her in the face was a pair of eyes sticking out of a skull. It was a pony, whose face had been skinned right out, revealing the white bone, intermingled with red muscle and Gums and bloodshot eyes staring blankly into her soul!

The skullpony had a Rainbow Mane.

And then, from the darkness of the room, _another_ pony with what looked like _her_ face stepped into view. She seemed to be wearing some kind of dress, her wings outstretched.

"Oh! You're awake! I was wondering when you were ever going to awake. You slept through all that screaming and junk, I was starting to worry!" the _other_ other Rainbow Dash said in a high, excited, girly voice.

Rainbow screamed again. There were too many hers, and at least one of which had a skull for a face. When she was done screaming she looked away from both of them.

She felt a presence near her. They were carrying something.

"Daaaash. Lookie what I got." The girly voice called.

Dash didn't move at first…but she opened her eyes and looked out the corner of them at whatever was in front of her.

The Skullpony was right in her face!

Rainbow wasn't sure when her head turned so that she was facing the front again, but she was, her lip quivering. "P-please get that away from me" She pleaded in a small voice. "I don't like looking at it."

"Aw…but she loves you!" the unknown tormenter teased. Rainbow shut her eyes, not able to look anymore. "In fact, she wants to give you a kiss!" Rainbow opened her eyes in shock, but too late to do anything. Instantly, the carcasses' teeth were rubbing up against Rainbow.

"Mmmm'wha!" Rainbow felt moist gums press against her lips, and something _drip out_ of the stitched-up doll's eye sockets onto her.

Rainbow let out an angry, anguished cry. She shook her head and spat, trying to get rid of the strange, slimy stuff that covered her face.

"You don't have to be rude. It's okay, Dashie, don't feel sad. She'll warm up to you eventually. Isn't that right, Da-…hey, its hard keeping track of which Dashie you are. Well, aside from the whole, Alive-Dead thing. So, you have some kind of nickname for yourself, or should I just call you 'Nopony?'"

Rainbow was having trouble listening, she seemed fixated on those dead, unblinking eyes… "Why do I need a nickname? Th-there's three Rainbow Dashes here, maybe _you_ need a nickname!"

_Except for the studder, that was very nearly showing her who's boss._ Rainbow Dash's inner critic noted.

_Shut up. _Rainbow fired back.

"Whaa? …OOOOOhhhhh!" The other _other_ Dash's eyes dawned in realization. The newcomer _peeled off_ _her own face_ to reveal…Pinkie Pie!

Rainbow's eyes dilated in shock. But then…it was all coming back to her now. Riiight, she got caught.

"P-pinkie?"

* * *

><p>The blue Pegasus was looking down at Pinkie, expressionless. "I've just returned from Sugarcube Corner. I couldn't find Sweetie Bell. I tore down that door you been keeping locked ever since you got the place to yourself, but it was just a perfectly normal basement."<p>

"But…" Pinkie was bewildered. "I'm positive that's where she kept all her horrible trophies! There's nowhere else in the shop she could've hidden them. And if Sweetie Bell was not somewhere in the shop, then…where is she?"

"Yes, Pinkie. Tell me."

"Dashie?"

"TELL ME WHERE!" Dash roared. The look in her eyes became far less reasonable.

"I don't know!" Pinkie pleaded, tears welling up in her eyes. "I thought you understood…We're not the same pony! She could be anywhere!"

"I think I understand...even better than you do." Rainbow Dash said in that eerily calm voice which had returned. "If you don't know…I'll just have to ask the other Pinkie" Rainbow took to the sky, disappearing into the fog.

"Yes! That's what I've been telling you! I don't know where she-" Pinkie was cut off as she gasped!

"Whaa?" Pinkie started, staring at the _safe_ that had come crashing out of the sky and landed right in front of her!

She didn't see it coming at all. Her tail didn't twitch. She had abandoned her tail back at the hospital. She was too frightened to return, and too pressed for time to do anything but look for Sweetie Bell.

"DASHIE! WHAT ARE YOU DOING!"

The voice from the mist repeated. "Saving Sweetie Bell."

"WHAT DOES TRYING TO KILL ME HAVE TO DO WITH SWEETIE BELL!" Pinkie cried back

"….You're not the Pinkie I want to talk to. Hurry up and transform."

Pinkie's eye twitched. "THAT! MAKES! NO! SENSE!"

* * *

><p>"Hee hee! Do you like it?" Pinkie giggled, holding up Rainbow's face, which sagged without eye sockets. The sight caused Rainbow to vomit onto the floor…which Rainbow just noticed was covered with some kind of mat. Rainbow thought she saw the emblem of a Snail on it, but she couldn't really tell what with the darkness…and the vomit.<p>

"Oh Dashie…you made such a mess. Fortunately, I thought ahead, and I'll clean that up later." Pinkie pushed the vomit-covered mat away. "You're little jacket messy, too, however."

"I just made this before I tried waking you up! And look!"

The pink pony placed the mask made she had been wearing over the skull-face of the taxidermied Rainbow, it fit nearly perfectly, except for it appearing a little baggy in places.

"Ta-daa! It still fits!"

Pinkie hugged the dead Rainbow Dash. "Yep! You were really out of it. I've been having lots and lots of fun with the other Dashie!"

"….What did you DO to her?" Dash asked in a quiet voice. She was eyeing the bloody stumps where there should've been wings. There were stitched all along the back, starting from the left wing's stump.

The lamps went off, leaving Rainbow in the darkness. Then, a spotlight came on, revealing Pinkie's body. The dress she was wearing was white and poofy, like clouds. However, on her back where two sky-blue wings.

"Do you like it? You were out for suuuuch a long time, I had to get creative to pass the time. So, I made a new dress. My other one is fancier, but this one makes me feel so pure and innocent…ah.." Pinkie took a moment to pose like a little princess. Rainbow would've thrown up, but she had done that already.

"Oh, and look at my chest!" Pinkie stood on her hind legs, revealing am emblem on her chest.

It was Dash's cutie marks. Cut away from all the blue, the chromatic lightning bolts emerged out of there clouds, the bottom of their trails _touching_ one another, joining the two lightning bolts in a union that could've never been had Dash's body never been defiled.

Rainbow couldn't see the other Dash clearly, but she couldn't fight the curiosity to look at her flanks.

"B-b-but why? I know she stabbed you, but you saw that coming with an armored vest that squirts fake blood!…and she was sorry! She was crazy, but you're…you're a monster! You've…she…she was right to be afraid of you!"

"Oh…so she was right to try and kill me? Is that what you're saying?"

"Sh-she was trying to retain her sanity! She was frightened but she thought she might've been wrong! She did not come here planning to hurt you! And…and you _knew_ that! I didn't know what was going on, but I figured it out! She probably just wanted to scare you away and run out the door, but she was too busy freaking out to run! And YOU! You had already SOMEHOW thought to armor yourself from her blow and then you subdued her! All you had to do at the most was call the police!…or even the Cakes! Nopony had to die unless you…you…" Rainbow was losing focus from the sudden appearance of a sad expression on Pinkie's face.

While Rainbow had stopped talking to stare at her, Pinkie shot in. "The Cakes are dead. Don't you remember?"

_Whaaaaaaaa? But…this morning…who…what…how? Oh wait, this isn't my Ponyville. This could be a trick…but…but…_

Rainbow Dash, awestruck, just spoke the words "I'm sorry."

"Sorry!" Pinkie's voice was angry again. "Oh, sure, first you take the side of my attacker and then insensitively remind me of Mr. and Mrs. Cake, but I GUESS 'SORRY' MAKES IT ALL BETTER, HUH?" Pinkie had stepped out of the spot light and was pressing her shadow-covered face up against Rainbow's.

"I…I…" Rainbow stammered.

Then Pinkie chortled and started giggling. Rainbow's eyes went wide.

"You're really too fun! It's okay Dashie, you don't have to worry about hurting my feelings. I'm over the sad, sad, SAD incident with the Cakes…."

Not sure of anything, Rainbow decided to change the subject with a question. "W-what are you going to do to me?"

"Well…Maybe I'll keep you for a while, your number only came up once after all, and you're kind of invisible and junk."

"My….number?" Rainbow was thoroughly confused.

"Oh Dashie… How long do you think I've been up to this?" Pinkie smiled and flipped a switch. A head light hummed to life and illuminated the rest of the room which _had been_ enveloped in darkness from the contrast of the two lamps, and later the bright spotlight.

"Oh no."

It felt like the room was spinning

Painted Skulls. Foals wearing party hats made from their own flesh. Tables made from bones, decorations made from organs, a banner made from skin with blood letters that read "Life is a Party!" the light seemed to have served to only make the room much darker…..

"Welcome to my cave, Dashie! RAAAAARRRRR!"

* * *

><p>Pinkie really missed her tail.<p>

She didn't like this new experience at all.

**SLAM!**

Pinkie, who had been bouncing around as fast as she could until now, froze and looked out the corner of her eye at a stone lawn ornament that had landed right next to her. If it had been even an inch further to the left…

Of course, Pinkie had taken a few bruises and cuts from some of the lighter objects that came at her in an arc. Those Dash seemed to throw in flurry, making them more likely to hit Pinkie. She had a nasty bruise next to her tail where the wrench hit.

"Dashie…" her pleas came out much too softly. She tried again, straining her voice to be heard:

"DASHIE! PLEASE STOP THIS! YOU'RE REALLY GOING TO -KILL- ME!"

"Hee heee heee…"

"THIS ISN'T FUNNY, DASHIE!"

"Hehehehehehe…" The insane laughter from the sky continued, making Pinkie shiver.

"Please…AT LEAST EXPLAIN TO ME WHAT YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING!"

The laughter stopped.

A small segment of mist split as Rainbow beat her wings and made herself visible. She was smiling…but it wasn't a happy smile. It was a very sad one.

"I had hoped that scaring you would be enough. But I guess I'll have to move on to phase two."

"Ph-phase two?" Pinkie trembled. "D-dashie, please stop confusing-"

"And another thing! Stop calling me Dashie. Sorry, Pinkie, but really…you're kind of disgusting. I mean, your pitiful how you got this other innocent, NON-MURDEROUS, personality, but even she's getting on my final nerve."

"W-what?" Pinkie felt her colors draining away again.

_No!_

…Suddenly, they came back.

Rainbow seemed to notice this. She seemed to regard Pinkie with a curious, but extremely cautious expression.

Pinkie stared back at Dash with a suddenly confident-looking face.

Rainbow's eyes widened.

And then, Pinkie raised her hooves and pulled her cheeks apart while she stuck her tongue between her teeth and went "Blblbbllblblble"

_No…she doesn't mean that. I'll bet she doesn't mean that! If I just surprise her by being me, I can catch her off guard and then she'll be too busy laughing to keep saying these mean things!_

Rainbow gaped, blinked, ….and then smiled warmly

Rainbow wrapped her foreleg around Pinkie.

_D-dashie…_

Pinkie's eyes watered with tears of joy.

"In fact, since you're both the same pony, we'd really be better off with you dead." Rainbow stated with a coldness that did NOT match her smile.

Pinkie Pie was shocked, and let out an appalled gasp. But…she finally understood what was going on in Rainbow's mind. "D-dash, no…I'm sorry I was messing around! It wasn't appropriate for-"

And then Rainbow Dash slammed Pinkie's head into the wall!

* * *

><p>"Heheehehe. Hey, Dash, look who I got here!" Pinkie head a yellow-and-blue painted skull with a beak in one hoof. "It's Gilda!"<p>

"G-gilda? But that's not possible! She left Ponyville immediately! And you couldn't have tracked her down!"

"Oh, I have my methods." Pinkie grinned. "I actually drew a number that I forgot to assign a pony too, so I thought 'hmm…this is a pickle. Whatever should I do now?' And then I thought of the most Meany Mean Meanypants Griffon ever! And I decided it had to be her number. The rules weren't really clear on that."

"Rules?" Rainobw blinked.

"Oh, let's not talk about that, it's a long, boring story."

Pinkie grabbed the Dash Doll with her free hoof. "Hey Dash, lets hang out together!" Pinkie did a grouchy impression of Gilda's voice as she waggled the skull around. "Sure thing, Gilda! I'd love to show you my new flying moves!" Pinkie did a scratchy voice, and then she threw the Dash Doll into the air, where it of course fell to earth and crashed, making Dash cringe.

"Graceful, Dash." Gilda-Pinkie snarked. "Let's see you do any better, Gilda!" Pinkie-Dash shot back. "Alri-"

"STOP!" Rainbow wanted to raise a hoof, but she was of course, tied up in the straight jacket. A _straight jacket_…like she was the one who was insane here. "Please…don't throw her!"

_I…don't even understand the nature of this world, but I just can't let herrrrrr_- Rainbow's train of thought trailed off.

Pinkie Pie had stopped. She returned her attention to Rainbow Dash with mischievous eyes. Rainbow immediately regretted the attention.

(Also, She realized that the position her forelegs were in under the straightjacket was exactly perfect to hug herself, rocking back and forth screaming something along the lines of **"NO, PINKIE! NO! PLEASE NO! PLEASE, PLEASE NO!"** But no…Dash still had her pride. …Oh, _shut up. Little pink ponies giving actual earth-shattering dragon roars do__** not **__count. That's just __cheating__.)_

Who knew what was going to happen to her now? It was going to be something horrible-she just knew it! Rainbow's mind flooded with horrible possibilities with how she was going to be slowly murdered…Surely nothing could be worse than…

"Whoa…its another Dash!" Gilda-Pinkie said.

"I know, isn't this exciting? Are you excited, Gilda? I've never been so excited- it makes me want to sing! No wait…." Pinkie grabbed the Doll Dash. "Gotta make em' Dance!"

Rainbow found that she was tied to some sort of trolley as Pinkie spun her around and played with her macabre toys all while dancing to and singing.

"_Whoa, that's a full rainbow…_

_Double rainbow, OMG!"_

"Pinkie! Stop it! I'm getting dizzy!" Dash cried as she was spun around and around in her cart and eventually fell on her nose. "OW!"

* * *

><p>Pinkie's head was throbbing. The world was spinning but regained just enough focus to slip out of Dash's grip and walk unsteadily backwards, away from the murderous pegasus.<p>

"Ra…" Pinkie had to stop. She put a hoof up to her head. "Ahhh….Rainbow..."

"Have I awakened you yet! WHERE'S SWEETIE BELL! TELL ME WHERE SHE IS RIGHT NOW, YOU MONSTER!"

The noise caused Pinkie to cringe. It was not helping her headache. "Stop…you're making a mistake…" Pinkie couldn't quite manage to shout back.

"SHUT UP!" Dark Dash yelled. She landed and crouched, and began stepping forward everytime Pinkie stepped back.

Pinkie tried stopping, and Dash also mirrored that action by crouching. However, even crouching, Dash swayed back and forth, and each feather in her wing bristled. She had this eerie grin on her face. "eheheehe…I'm not afraid of you…you transform right now! I'll beat the answers out of you!"

"Dash…Please stop!" Pinkie pleaded. She was trying to control her breathing…crying hadn't been helping so far.

"Did you show Sweetie Bell any mercy when you took her away from your sister! DID YOU! Ehehehehehehe….what's the matter Pinkie? Are you scared of me now that you have a pony you can't trick?"

"I don't want to hurt you! E-even though you hurt me, I really, really don't! So please!" Pinkie sat on her haunches and looked at Rainbow! "…listen to reason. We're not the same pony! She has a different body and everything! She is not physically here, Rainbow!"

"Oh yes. Listening to reason says that YOU'RE CRAZY!" Rainbow Dash pointed a hoof at Pinkie. "Face it, Pinkie, the only explanation that makes sense is that you get these sudden urges and then you can't cope with the ugliness of reality so you hide the truth from yourself!" Dash stepped forward, taking the initiative. Pinkie stepped back.

Crouch-walking after Pinkie like a jungle cat stalking its prey, Rainbow continued. "You know where Sweetie Bell is…and I'm quite tired of this stupid, _saccharine_ personality you've been putting up. I want to talk to the real Pinkie!" Rainbow took leaned back instead of stepping forward. "Riiight…."

Pinkie started stumbling backwards even faster now…

"NOOOOW!" Rainbow pounced after Pinkie!

Pinkie bounded away and ran.

_Well…so much for talking my way out of that. I need to get away! Nopony is going to protect me…I knew my friends would if they could but…They can't._

_So…I need to find my own way out of this nightmare._

Pinkie ran into the fog. But heard the beating of wings coming from behind her. Rainbow was scattering the fog. _Hey…wait._

_THAT'S IT!_

* * *

><p><em>Well…at least the dancing stopped.<em> Dash told herself again. She hadn't said anything out loud, as the current spectacle before her was so very revolting. After barfing up the apple earlier, Rainbow wasn't sure she had anything else to vomit, but she was taking no chances.

Pinkie was relating to her a most …_wonderful…_ tale of what all she had done to the other Rainbow Dash. She had removed the stitches and opened the flaps of skin to reveal a dried out-although still very much bloodstained ribcage.

Well…also ichor-stained, bile-stained, reflux-stained, and _frosting_-stained. But lets not get bogged down in the details.

Pinkie had categorically preserved AND replaced all the organs she took out of Doll-Dash, and was replacing them

"And that's when she emptied her bowels again! Actually, I thought I cleaned it all up, but now that I think about it, doesn't it still smell a little bit like pee in here? Oh well, I'll fix that up later….oh wait…wait….Daaasshie, is that you?"

_Huh?…oh shit! When did that happen! I mean…there seriously was that long period where it felt like I was having an out of body experience when she was talking about the electrocution but…aarrrggg why now of all times?_

"Aw…don't cry, Dashie, I'll clean it up! Hee hee… You're such a messy pony! What would Scootaloo think?"

"Shut up! You've had me tied up so I couldn't move anyway!" That 'Scootaloo' comment had stung.

"Heheeheehee."

"It's not funny!" Rainbow squirmed as she was cleaned up.

"Anyway…I forgot to tell you something! it was hard to surprise her, she kind of knew what to brace herself for. I guess her dream told her about everything I was going to do. She seemed to have given some good screams during the electrocution, though. But I knew I had to step it up."

Pinkie got a movie projector. "So…during the harvesting, I got out and played this!"

She flipped it on before Dash could process that she might not want to see whatever that movie was about.

Nothing but blank photoage played on the wall.

"Oh nuts! I forgot to rewind. This will just take a minute now, Dashie."

_I need to change the subject now…_

"Well, just so you know…I had a dream about you, too!"

"Oh, really?" Pinkie asked with mock surprise "I'm so flattered!"

"It was horrible. The worse dream ever. I nearly forgot it. Before I remembered it just now."

"Oh come on…you only had it last night."

"No….no, this one was on the day of Gummy's party. My memories of it almost faded."

"Really? Well, go on then! Tell me what it was about! Because I remember what happened the day after that!" Pinkie sneered and turned her head away.

"IT WAS ABOUT YOU BEING GONE!" Dash yelled at the top of her exhausted voice.

"W-what?" Pinkie seemed genuinely shocked.

"I-it wasn't a normal nightmare about watching you die…t-that had already happened. And you were just…gone. The color went out of the world, the entire dream was all our friends being sad without…without….WITHOUT YOU BEING RANDOM AND STUPIDLY ADORABLE EVERYWHERE WE WENT!"

Pinkie just stared, wide-eyed.

"When I woke up, I ran out the door, desperate to see if you were okay…a-and then *sob* I saw you in that Balloon of yours, giving me a Singing Telegram! I never told you…how happy I was to see…N-no. This. Is. Wrong."

Pinkie seemed to be trying regain her composure. "I'll say. You stopped liking my parties after that! You aban-"

"SHUT UP! YOU'RE NOT THE REAL PINKIE! YOU DON'T EVEN HAVE REAL FEELINGS! YOU'RE JUST A TWISTED SHADOW OF HER LIKE ZECORA WARNED ME ABOUT!" Rainbow bellowed. Her voice raspy, the pegasus continued as tears she didn't know she had streamed down her face.

"How dare you say those things with Pinkie's voice! How dare you grin like that with Pinkie's face! How. Dare. You. Try. To. Ruin. My. Image. Of. My**. **_Wonderful_…._Innocent_…_Irreplacable_…. **Friend!**" Rainbow rasped

The bloodstained Pinkie actually clasped her hooves over her mouth.

"Pinkie Pie would never do what you have done. She would never even _think_ it. I don't believe you. You're a fake. You're not even Pinkie at her worse. What WAS the worse thing she did? Go Emo and party with some turnips? Otherwise just general rough housing? That's it?"

"What…I….I…" the Monster was actually sobbing. Those tears rolling down her cheeks seemed to be defying some kind of Natural Order of Things.

Rainbow wasn't moved. "Stop crying! Just go ahead and k-kill me now!" Rainbow cursed herself for letting that one word almost stick in her throat. "There's nothing else for you TO do to me." Rainbow choked "Because while I hate you with all my heart, I'm still rooting…for the real Pinkie. You'll never convince me you are anything but a *hic* -a TWISTED IMAGE of my best friend!"

Dash shut her eyes and looked away from Pinkie. "I can't even look at you anymore! Damn you! I'm letting you in! You can *hic* take my life…but won't replace my true memories of Pinkie Pie!"

The pink filly ran out of the room, sobbing.

Rainbow tried to yell, but her voice was incredibly weak "Come back…come back…if you're really going soft _now_ of all times…let me go…I don't like being stuck here."

_What was with the other Pinkie? Was that another trick…or did I actually strike a nerve? Its gotta be a trick…its just gotta be! Where's my Pinkie? Will I ever see her again? Will I ever see any of my friends again?_

* * *

><p>The cloud walking technique her Rainbow had taught her was normally just for her to visit Rainbow's house. She could really use it without some way of reaching a certain cloud.<p>

However, Rainbow had warned her not to do any of the following things:

-Don't go up without a way down. There were many objects that were "cloud-proofed" so they could be used by Pegasi. Pinkie's hot air balloon, for instance could land on clouds.

-Don't walk on storm clouds. Rainbow didn't really explain why, but she made Pinkie promise she wouldn't. She also didn't want Pinkie walking on any "wild" clouds either.

-You can walk on fog, if you must, but it's incredibly dangerous. First of all, it required even more concentration than cloud walking, something the Pinkie didn't have much of to start with. Furthermore, Fog is chaotic, random, insubstantial, and lacked the stability of Equestria Clouds. But it is possible to "climb the mist", just knowing that any mass of mist, even on a thick, "pea soup" fog, is going to fall apart as it moves through the sky, and if you go up too high and lose your footing…

Dash made Pinkie promise her that she would never try that except to get away from predators or something.

Well…this HAD to count as an "or something."

She was going to Sugarcube Corner. It was still her best lead. She wasn't positive how she'd get inside with all the doors in this Ponyville being all wonky, but she'd burn that bridge when she came to it.

Pinkie ran towards the thickest glob of fog she could find…and _climbed_ onto to it. She was now floating a foot off the ground.

She had to shift a little bit, to keep her footing. Standing of Fog really was a different experience….but still she waited.

Suddenly, she heard the beating of wings. Rainbow was approaching.

The fog was being blown forth in a large cloud…beyond that cloud lay a very annoyed ponicidal blue pegasus.

The mist-wall quickly approached Pinkie.

She sat on her cloud. She made no effort to move, another her heart was racing.

It came closer…

Closer…

And then Pinkie's cloud _was swept up_ with the wall…taking Pinkie with it!

Pinkie had to suppress an excited "WHEEEEEE!" as she rode the gusts that were pushing her forward.

However, she did smile. This was the cleverest thing she'd ever done! As long as she kept it up, Dash would push her forward and never notice!

A little too widely did she smile, as the pain in the side of her head fired back up again.

"Ouch!" Pinkie put a hoof up next to her head and forgot all about mist-walking and…

_uh oh._

Pinkie came tumbling out of the scattering mist, much to Rainbow's surprise. "Oof! Oooh…my head is spinnnnnnnn….ning."

Pinkie looked up at Rainbow. And grinned nervously.

"Eheh…could you do that again? It was fun!"

"…Since when can you can cloud walk?" Rainbow crossed her arms. "Never mind. This just makes you more dangerous than ever." She started flying around and around Pinkie Pie…

"Um…Rainbow?" Pinkie cringed worriedly as Dash looped around her.

"So you like going for little rides, do you?" The pegasus sped up. "TRY THIS ONE ON FOR SIZE!" And a Rainbow tornado wrapped around the pink earth pony and swept her into the air!

"DAAAAASSSHHHHIIIEEEEEEEE!" Pinkie cried as she spun around and around…

Dash just laughed.

* * *

><p><em>Hungrrrry…how long have I been down here? <em>Rainbow thought miserably to herself. _I need to go again…really, really BAD. I could just go ahead and go, I suppose…_

"…I can't do it. I have nervous bowels from the dead ponies watching me…G-gilda? Could you turn around and not look?"

Suddenly, a Pink hoof stepped out of the darkness and turned the griffon skull around.

"You could use this bucket…" Pinkie's voice said as she stepped into view pushed a metal pale up to Dash.

She wasn't wearing the dress anymore.

"H-how long were you there?" Rainbow asked. _Arg…am I blushing? Why am I blushing? This is the stupidest reaction ever! She's not even actually my friend, she's no one!_

"Um…I'm sorry." Pinkie said.

_Somepony around here is trying to get the role for Fluttershy…_

"I-I thought…maybe…you might be hungry?"

Pinkie had set down a plate topped with a sky blue icing cupcake with little candy-cloud decorations on them. The cupcake itself was dyed all the colors of the rainbow.

"I…I know you like seeing the sky and all, so I thought…"

"Um…" Rainbow wasn't entirely sure how to handle this situation. "I…" Her stomach growled.

Pinkie giggled.

"I can't really eat tied up like..hey."

Pinkie placed a cut up piece of the cupcake into Dashie's mouth. "Go on..I'll feed you." She smiled.

Rainbow felt like something was wrong, but her stupid stomach was hearing no counter arguments. Things couldn't get any worse. And…Rainbow kind of liked being fed.

(even if there was something a little…different…about this cupcake. It was very, very faint, but something about it wasn't Pinkie's normal recipe.)

"You like it?" Pinkie asked.

"Um…y-yes…" This was true. The candy clouds were quite sweet.

She cursed her mind, telling her that's how Stockholm syndrome starts, but she couldn't help but think that maybe…just maybe there was something good left in this Pinkie. Maybe she could be saved. Oh sure, after like, fucking YEARS of psychiatric help, but…maybe.

When Rainbow was done, a dangerous smile broke across Pinkie's face. "So what do you think? Does it taste like Rainbows?"

Rainbow blinked. What did that have to do…?

Pinkie winked.

Rainbow got it.

Deep in the recesses of Rainbow's mind, a great Congress of all of the pegasus' brain's constituent parts had stopped what they were doing to cast their gaze –ALL their gazes- at Polyana/Stockholm Rainbow.

The mind construct, who looked like Rainbow Dash in an Angellic halo and white gown (and also kinky hoofcuffs) sank down into her seat. "eheh. eheheheh…..shutting up." She squeaked.

And then, All Hell broke loose in the Congress.

…_BUT. I. .AND WHATIWASTASTING- WHATHAVEIDONE?GETITOUTGETITOUTGETITOUT!_

_CAN'TBREATHECAN'TBREATHE…can't…breathe…_

Rainbow collapsed.

Pinkie giggled. And approached.

Suddenly, Rainbow began struggling with her bonds with renewed vigor.

"GET. IT. OUT!" Rainbow began. With what little leverage she had in the straightjacket, she began lifting her forelegs and delivering a two-hooved punch to her own gut, causing her to gag and spray spittle across the room. Then, she tried it again.

"GET IT OUT!" **BOOF!** "GET IT OUT!" **SQUICK!** "_GETITOUTGETITOUTGETITOUT! GET IT OUUUUUTTTT!"_

After a titanic battle, Rainbow finally coughed up the cupcake.

Collapsing again, she looked at the pink pony and said. "Not. Pinkie." And fainted.

Dark Pinkie blinked. "Well!" She clapped her hooves together. "That was more fun than I thought it was going to be."

Dark Pinkie decided to inject Rainbow with a needle. Rainbow didn't wake up.

Nor had the Baker pony expected her too.

She grabbed a scalpel in her mouth…and began to remove Rainbow's straight jacket and other bonds.

* * *

><p><em>Oh Celestia…! I'm getting sick!<em> Pinkie was no stranger to dizzying rides, she loved roller coasters for instance, but this was quickly breaching her threshold.

Her entire world was spinning. Spinning and the Entire Visible Spectrum of Colors (which included her own Pink) and Rainbow Dash laughing cruel laughter. And…water? Somehow, glops of water were pounding into and soaking Pinkie. She thought she was drowning when one hit her in the face…Where did they come from?

But then, somehow Pinkie found herself _outside the tornado!_ What was more, the tornado was sucking in all the fog! She barely had time to think. As her hooves flailed outside, she grabbed some Fog and wrapped her hooves around it, _focusing all of her attention on cloudwalking._

Pinkie struggled with all her might, resisting the tornado trying to pull her back in…but she broke free and was standing on a very unstable fog cloud. She immediately hopped onto another one, but that was getting sucked up too! She hopped to another one, then another one, but they all seemed to be traveling even faster towards the tornado than she could escape from it.

_Did it just get FASTER?_

Pinkie's cloud just then was torn from the herd of others and fell into Dash's tornado! Pinkie was feeling nauseous again and but suddenly realized that she could use the momentum of the tornado to her advantage up here…

The mist-cloud Pinkie was standing on went around, and around, faster and faster as it came near the colorful tails of Rainbow's tornado. The cloud itself was shrinking, and Pinke had got her feet as close together as they could be for her that she could still prepare to jump. She saw that her chance was coming…and she leapt. As she did so, she pushed the cloud she was standing on down into the center of the tornado.

Moments later, Dash, who had been getting steadily more and more soaked, was _clocked_ by a large glop of water. This caused her to stop spinning.

She looked around for Pinkie Pie, but couldn't find her anywhere…

"Where are you! Where! COME OUT! !"

* * *

><p>The horrible cries of vengeance died down. Pinkie kept running, but she was certain that she wasn't going to see anymore of Dash for a while.<p>

She did it. She got away. She began climbing down the fog, to the nice, safe, ground.

"I…I know you didn't mean any of the things you said, Dashie." Pinkie sobbed. "You're just worried about Sweetie Bell, and you think that I'm doing a weird two-personality thing. But I'm not. She's a different pony, I'll prove it to you…"

"And thank you…my Dashie. For teaching me to walk on clouds. It saved my life today." Pinkie smiled.

But then she frowned.

_"My Dashie didn't share that trick with me! Boooooo!"_

"Oh…" Pinkie wore a crestfallen expression. "Maybe she did mean those mean things she said. She wasn't actually my Dash at all. The only Pinkie Pie she ever knew was…was THAT ONE!"

_This Dash was actually right about her Pinkie. Visiting a world where you're the bad pony…is really, really not fun._

Still, she had a mission to do. She headed off to Sugarcube Corner. She hoped that even after all this clowning around with Rainbow, she was still in time to save-

* * *

><p>Rainbow Dash felt her heart stop. Something had penetrated it…<p>

* * *

><p>"<em>And that takes care of that." <em>The voice of "Shadash" entoned. _"Seems to have been worth a little less...energy than I thought she would be worth. Are you SURE you broke her like you were supposed to?"_

"_Wait…you ate her already? That fast?"_

_"I don't 'eat' as such. That's just you and your disgustingness. But yes…the encroachment has begun. …Say, where'd she get those stitches?"_

"_Hmm? Oh, yeah. We had a little accident. Don't worry, its just a little flesh wound."_

"…"

"_Honest!"_

"_Fine, we don't have time for this…the other one is on her way. I failed to kill her."_

"…_Excuse me? Are you trying to get rid of me? After coming crying to me over 'oh boo hoo she knows the challenge and she's incorruptible, please Shadamena, save me!"_

"_A pony can dream."_

"_You do of course realize that everything that happened was still following the plan right? It was a total success!"_

"_I still choose to count this as a failure."_

"_Yeah, well…just reset Dashie already."_

"_Yeah, yeah…shoo, shoo, get out of here, you Cadaver…cadaverS, that is. So, how was your sess-AAARRGGG!"_

* * *

><p>As one Rainbow Dash with a knife in her heart faded out of existence in a shower of sparkling light, and another, stitched-up one simply sank into the floor, yet ANOTHER Rainbow Dash was screaming as Pinkie Pie had <em>triple<em>-weilded knifes (holding two in her fore hooves, and one in her mouth.) to stab her in her right wing, her left wing, and her spine. The pegasus fell on the floor, and shadowy smoke began to fade from her.

"rrrgggggggg! Sha-shadamena?" Rainbow Dash.

"Ooooh BOY, that felt good! I've been wanting to do that for this whole while! And Don't you '_Sha-sha-Shadamena?' _ME, missy! I saved Dashie for you to reset, but you're going against me! You go full blown crazy vs. Pinkie and leave me with nothing to do but go over harvesting sessions with Dash that haven't actually happened!" Dark Pinkie kicked Dark Dash, who had fallen to the floor. "What are you doing, hogging all the fun for yourself, huh? HUUUUUH?"

"Shadamena…I-erk!" Dark Dash felt the knife twisted in her back. "_I was just joking…_" she squeaked.

"Shadash….we all like a good joke now and then, but I'm afraid you're too much of a loose cannon. I'm sure you won't mind piecing yourself back together in limbo for a few hours while I rework the plan."

And then Dark Pinkie took the hacksaw and began to saw through Dark Dash's throat while she sat on top of her.

"Oh, and one more thing…Call me Dark Pink. You got that…DASHIE?" Dark Pink pinched her victim's cheek just before the saw fell through the rest of the head and the entire pegasus exploded in a cloud of darkness.

"heheheheheh…AHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHA! Ahhhh…No rest for the weary. I better get things set up for my counterpart."

The pink filly went into her kitchen and fetch a strange Cupcake with Rainbow colored icing. The cupcake itself was a sky blue. It seemed…different from the other cupcakes somehow. There was no magical glow or musical vibrations in the air, but something was just…off by it.

Whatever was its story, the baker savored every bite of it.

* * *

><p>Pinkie Pie had decided that she would sneak in through the garage out of the back of the store, where she kept her Cycle-copter.<p>

_That's strange…the garage is missing. But then…does that means she doesn't have the copter or…_

Suddenly Pinkie heard something loud! It sounded like gears moving. She looked up and stepped back as she saw, from the giant Cupcake-shaped attic that topped Sugarcube Corner, a _hangar_ opening.

Eyes wide in wonderment, Pinkie gasped.

It was her Cycle-copter. But it had been…modified.

It had wings this time, and on the bottom of those, there were heavy-looking balloons. The Flower-shaped horn had been replaced with a cross hairs…and below the crosshairs was some kind metal pipe that looked like the barrel of a gun. In that pipe was a belt of some kind.

(That was full of some kind of dart, not that Pinkie could make that out just yet.)

And in the seat, on the other side of the Pipe was…her Doppelganger! Laughing maniacally!

And yet, for all this madness…Pinkie had one thought running through her mind.

_How in all of Equestria HAS NOPONY CAUGHT THIS LUNATIC YET?_


	14. Optional chapter: Shadash's torture

**FUTURE LORD XAOS: (Attention, everypony. This time-bubble has been reopened so that others may view the key event that is different in this time line from that of the Prime timeline. The key difference that allowed this chapter to be as it is would be because Shadash/Dark Dash was a very different character.**

**However, this Chapter includes a lot of emotional torment. More than other chapters in fact. This chapter was deleted for its sensitive material. Be warned.**

**I'm serious. Get out now, Dark Pinkie is about to lock the door any second. I've mostly reopened this chapter for posterity to...enjoy me getting sprinkled by Cockroaches? I guess?**

**If you want to know what happened to Chapter 12...its basically the fight between Dark Dash and Light Pinkie in the Combo Chapter..it just takes place...afterwards.**

**You might want to watch a Holocaust documentary beforehand just to be sure you are properly desensitized and your grimdark expectations actually undershoot this chapter.**

**Again. LAST CHANCE. People have stopped reading the fic due to this chapter.**

**Seriously, this chapter isn't even Canon anymore.**

**Okay...your funeral.)**

***Lord Xaos portals out to narrowly avoid destroying the universe by making eye contact with his other self***

Before we begin, I have an announcement to make.

Like Chapters 4-6, this Chapter reenacts the events of Cupcakes. Although Pinkie's experience with her own darkness lead her through the horrors of two out of four phases of the full torture from the fic (and one of those was skipped due to Pinkie's lack of wings), it was done alongside Rainbow Dash desperately trying to break into the Grove, giving readers some hope. This isn't QUITE going to be the case for the event chapter.

Considering my options, I have concluded that you, my loyal fans, have suffered enough.

In lue of reenacting the full horror of Cupcakes, I have decided to simply paraphrase the torture that are seen in this chapter. This still might not be enough to protect the most sensitive readers, but they can safely use the additional "Cliffnotes only" G-rated chapter I've uploaded along with this update.

This Cliff notes chapter will give you all the important plot information without any traumatizing scenes at all. So now, not only has this chapter been replaced its hardcore violence with vague references, but you don't even need to read anything even vaguely referencing that.

I've also taken notice of how some have said the story is hard to follow in places. To clarify what's going on, I've decided to write the chapter in such a way as it is obvious what every character, especially Dark Dash, is thinking and where it is she's coming from. I was going to put off explanations for a later chapter and leave the audience in suspense, but….that might be causing undue stress to the readership.

Anyway, The cliff notes version of this chapter is completely safe for sensitive children all over the internet!

Just hit the back button and look for the Chapter titled- _***IS SHOT WITH TRANQUILIZER DART OUT OF A BLOWGUN MADE FROM A HALLOWED OUT UNICORN HORN WEILDED BY A PINK EARTH PONY. The author collapses!***_

"Whew! That was a close one!" _***deletes G-rated cliff notes chapter***_ "Don't worry everypony, I'm going to make sure that this chapter is lots and lots of _**Fun**_. Hey, where are all you going? I already locked the door you sillies!"

*Warning: the Back button to your internet browser has been wired to explode. There is no way out.*

"Ah-hem….Now, I KNOW you aren't the kind of **HeArTlEsS, mOnStEr ThAt WoUlD gO aNd AbAnDoN dAsHiE jUsT bEcAuSe ThInGs GoT a TeEnY tInY bIt ScArY, ArE yOu?"**

"**ARE YOU!"**

"…..Just kidding! Geez, you bronies need to lighten up. I mean, if I was going to do something, your room would already be filled with **DeAdLy NeUrOtOxIn."**

"Kidding! My Neurotoxin isn't deadly! It just gives you funny, _funny_ dreams. See?" *motions over to unconscious author*

No… not the cockroaches…I'm sorry I broke your flowerpot…I'll get you another one, I'll eat less, I'll do anything…just please…don't lock me in there with the cockroaches…

"Well, Xaossie sounds like he's having fun! Oh! I have an idea!"

***the pony squishes a cockroach, and sprinkles its remains in little shards all over the sleeping author's hair and clothes***

"Now, on with the show!"

* * *

><p><strong>The Dark Side<strong>

_A My Little Pony fanfic by some unconscious person._

_Chapter 11_

All was Darkness.

All was pitch black nothingness.

She slept a dreamless sleep. Not aware of anything in the world. If one were listening to her thoughts, they might be inclined to ponder, just from the silence, if she was dead.

A flicker of consciousness began to decipher the sensations it felt. Her back muscles were sore and uncomfortable, it is was probably this discomfort that . She felt warm on top, but cold on bottom, like she had been wrapped on. She thought she smelled the scent of some kind of polish…wait….wait…what WERE all these strange, barely noticeable smells?

Also…why was her mouth starting to feel sore?

She felt something huge and rubbery in her mouth, and she tried to spit it out, but all she wound up doing was drooling on herself.

Then, Rainbow Dash opened her eyes.

In a dark room, there was the oddest thing lying on top of a nearby table. It looked like a some kind of arts and crafts project. It was painted some sort of pastel color, its shape slightly triangular, a pointy end facing Dash. It had round indentions that reminded her of… eye sockets!

It was a skull…a griffin skull.

Gaping at the sight, Rainbow suddenly noticed that she was standing vertically, which probably explained where her neck was so sore. As she tried to move, she realized that she was restrained in something. Her wings and forelegs were wrapped up in a straightjacket. Additionally, her entire body was tied up to something heavy. She had been gagged.

Rainbow suddenly remembered. What she was doing. Who brought her here.

She looked to her left, where the only light in the room was coming from. There were the faintest blue rays reflecting off the midday sky, out of a window that was covered with a heavy curtain. The blue rays shot from only the top half of the concealed window, implying that where Rainbow was, she was partially underground. This notion in of itself didn't sit well with Rainbow, who thrived in the freedom of the sky.

And speaking of things not sitting well with her….she was noticing more skulls. Pony skulls, wearing party hats. But something was…odd about the texture of those hats. They seemed…smooth, but rugged at the same time. Rainbow couldn't really describe it. And that one with the really poofy, reddish material around it was weirding her out.

And something about those balloons and streamers decorating the dark room smelled funny, as well. But…it blended in with the smell of chemical cleaners and polish that permeated from every other corner of the basement.

Suddenly upon hearing breathing in the room, Rainbow turned to the right instead, so fast she nearly threw her neck out.

In the dark room, lying like some kind of forgotten toy, was…herself. Or rather her other self. The other Rainbow Dash. Other Rainbow had leather straps tying her legs to the rack she saw before, and iron braces and other bindings in key places around her legs and chest to hold her even stiller in place. She was still unconscious, oblivious to her predicament.

Suddenly, Rainbow felt a little bit better about being stuck in "just" a straightjacket. But then again, the other Rainbow's wings were free, while HER wings were getting cramped under the jacket. They weren't even lodged at her sides properly. And the other Rainbow could still talk.

_Yeah…talk. Maybe if she woke up, she could at least explain what's going on, maybe even had some ideas on how we could escape. In any case, she isn't doing much good being unconscious…_

Rainbow began making "psst!" noises. This…wasn't very effective due to the gag. So, she tried wiggling in the trolley she was tied to. Suddenly, Rainbow had an out-of-balance experience and she threw her weight back the other direction of the imminent fall instinctively

This produced a very unfortunately loud **CLANK.**

The Shackled Rainbow woke up with a start. Gagged Rainbow was still stunned by the noise, and didn't make any movements or sound. The Other Rainbow looked around the room, her eyes seeming to have trouble adjusting to the darkness.

And then…her eyes shrank into little dots. And she let out a terrific scream.

Dash's ears were ringing from the awful noise her doppelganger made, and she couldn't hear herself think. As if her ears weren't in enough pain, a bright light suddenly came on, blinding Rainbow.

When the spots cleared from her eyes, she had a much better look at the room.

The tiny pony skulls on the table where of foals, wearing hats made from their own skin. The one hat with the fizzy material she couldn't identify from before she now recognized as being made from the skin of Apple Bloom's classmate, Twist. The Balloon and Streamers were made from Organs. The Heart-Shaped Balloons were made from real hearts. The Tables where made from Pony bones.

There was a leather banner with the words "Life is a Party" written on it. In blood.

But, the most horrifying thing in the room were the words escaping from the maniac pegasus' lips

"No! Noooo! I was right! The dreams going to happen all over again! She's going to cut me again! Torture me and tear me apart and eat my flesh! The nightmare is happening for real! I should've never trusted her! How'd she survive without being too hurt to tie me up? I should've gone for a vital spot first, not the stupid shoulder!"

Crazy Dash rambled on and on…oblivious to anything else in the room. Was Rainbow still invisible to her?

While Rainbow Dash kept wigging out, Rainbow suddenly heard another voice as a strange, six-winged form stepped into the room:

"_Whoa, that's a full Rainbow...All the way…"_

It was Pinkie. She was singing. She covered her eyes with her hooves, but separated the toes of her hooves to let just the images of both Rainbow Dashes slip through.

"_Double Rainbow…Oh my God!_

She was wearing the most _awful_ dress ever. It was emblazoned with cutie marks, decorated with Pegasi wings (each from a different Pegasus,) and there was a necklace of what looked like severed unicorn horns. It was gaudy and bright, but that just served as a reminder of the fact that it was a patchwork of the bodies of ponies.

_It's a double rainbow all the way. Damn._

_It's a double Rainbow all the way. Damn. Oh my God!"_

Pinkie stopped mid song and giggled…but the giggles gave way to some kind of compulsive shudder that vibrated through her entire body, like she was being wracked by adrenaline...which climaxed in the form of a declaration of intent she almost shrieked so much as a said.

"Eeeeeee…..Gotta make them dance!"

She grabbed the Rainbow who was shackled to the rack (Aka "Crazy" Dash) and tilted her body from side-to-side forcefully. As if to get her arms to sway in the air, which, naturally, wasn't going to happen because they where locked in place.

"_Double Rainbow, All the way!_

_Cross the sky!_

_Yeah! Yeah!"_

Pinkie held her head in her hooves while standing up in the middle of the room as she sang:

"_So Intense!"_

She spun Gagged Rainbow's trolley around...She let out unintelligible noises as she spun and eventually fell face first on the ground, but Pinkie just keep singing.

"_Double Rainbow, All the way!_

_Cross the sky!_

_Waa! Waa! Oh my God!_

_Lookit that Rainbow!"_

It was at this point that the Other Rainbow had been shaken back to reality from the manhandling, and Pinkie had grabbed her head, and forced her to stare straight at the Rainbow who was muzzled.

Rainbow Dash looked shocked.

"WHO IS THAT!" The Other Rainbow manage to speak up while Pinkie was holding her lips apart, forcing her to grin.

Pinkie immediately dropped the song. "Whacha say, Dashie? Oh right, her. She's Nopony. Just someone who eavesdropped. She's a naughty, naughty little pony…" Dark Pinkie shook her head in disappointment.

(While "Nopony" is the most soul-crushing thing for our beloved Light-side Rainbow Dash, considering her personality…one might be inclined to grant one of these two Pegasi a distinguishing nickname of some sort. Thus, the "real" Rainbow shall be called "Nopony." And call the other one…just "Rainbow Dash" or something.)

"She's..._me_." Rainbow Dash gaped in astonishment.

"Nah. I see the resemblance, but she's an Earth pony! No wings at all!" Pinkie motioned to Nopony's jacket-covered sides while setting her back up.

Nopony squirmed once more, trying to get her wings free...it was awfully cramped in that jacket of hers. But indeed, there were so many bulky straps holding her in place that no outside observer could tell she presently, or _ever_, had wings. _Thanks for reminding me, Pinkie._

"Still though, it's pretty incredible that you both have rainbow manes!" Dash recoiled as Pinkie grabbed her mane and _sniffed_ it and gave out a contented "Aaahh…"

She got close to Dash's ear and whispered a muted "raaaar…"

Dash was deciding all this attention was decidedly negative, and squirmed. Her forelegs were crossed over her chest in such a way that she was cradling herself as if she was hiding her shame. (Which was funny since Ponies' mammary glands were lower on the body then where Dash's forelegs were crossed under the straitjacket)

Rainbow Dash seemed to have lost interest. She was looking at something else. "G-gilda?"

Rainbow had to take a long in the direction as her counterpart, and eyed the griffin skull from before. In the light, she saw that it was painted yellow and blue. Just as Pinkie grabbed the skull, and did an impression of the brash griffin:

"Hey Dash, let's hang out together! These ponies are lameos! Dweebs, dweebs, dweebs! Hey! I'd race you to that cloud over there, but we both seem a little…immobile at the moment." Pinkie giggled. Nopony stared in horror, but the shackled one narrowed her eyes.

"No…I thought for one moment I was wrong. But no…I KNOW WHAT YOU ARE!"

"I'm a griffin, duh. You're weirding me out here, Dash."

"NOT…" Rainbow Dash glared at the griffon skull, but softened. "Not you…Gilda." She then turned to Pinkie "YOU!"

"The point still stands, Dash. You've been acting weird for days now. I thought I'd make you some nice cupcakes and play with you. See if I couldn't turn that grumpy frown upside down." Pinkie said, flipping her frowning face upside down as she wound down her observation. "What's that all about, huh?"

Rainbow Dash looked down, and saw her leather pouch. Something seemed to flicker in her eyes. Then, she took a moment, as if deciding how best to phrase something. "You really want to know…? Come closer, and I'll tell you."

"Ooooh, I love secrets! Tell me, tell me!" Pinkie bounced over.

Something had caused Nopony to start desperately yelling unintelligible words, and unleash a torrent of drool from her mouth. But Rainbow Dash glared at her to be silent.

This seemed to just make the gagged pegasus if anything, more anxious to say whatever it is she couldn't say.

Pinkie moved until she was a small distance away from Rainbow Dash's face, placing a hoof behind her ear so she could hear.

Her captive stretch her neck forward….

Her other captive continued to fidget and holler in a warning manner. She had long forgotten the issue about if anything here was real or not.

Her captive mumbled something

Pinkie leaned in further.

At this, the captive's head _dove_ into her leather pouch and this time, she opened it and began to frantically search for something! Wait...where was it?

Suddenly, she felt something cut into her, causing her head to rocket back out of the pouch. "Oh, were you looking for this?" Pinkie asked as she cut her victim's flank with her own knife. "It's really pretty, Dashie. Its so shiny!"

Nopony wept. She tried to warn her.

"How? How'd you get that?"

"Aww…I suppose it WAS mean of me to leave the empty pouch with you, just so you could be disappointed. But you should know Dash, you aren't the only one who likes toys like that little pouch of yours! I have one myself! You were just sooo interested in that pouch, I knew it must've been something bad. I might've been nervous if I wasn't wearing my armored shirt….hey! I'm all done!" Pinkie held up the severed cutie mark. "This thing cuts like magic! But…

"No…don't…do this…I'm not cupcake ingredients…I'm your friend!" Rainbow Dash wept.

This stopped Pinkie. "Hey…I don't think I even mentioned that yet. How rude of me! I didn't actually ask you yet. Though…I suppose I got a little confused what with there being "two" of you and all." She eyed her gagged Captive.

"Nightmares prevented me from sleeping…I foresaw what you'd do to me…made me tired all the time...made me stab you…I was sorry…Pinkie...I was sorry!"

_Nightmares? About this monst-AAH!_ Nopony's train of thought was derailed by LOUD NOISES.

"SORRY? SORRY? YOU **STABBED** ME! YOU BROKE MY HEART-" Pinkie yelled, her face full of unbridled fury. Nopony shuddered as she thought about what it meant for the 'Pink Dragon' to be this personally angry at you.….but then, on the word "Heart" Pinkie laughed like a hyena, slamming her hoof on the ground repeatedly. "Oh Celestia…I'm just joshing you. I figured out what was going on with that pouch a while ago, even saw you playing with that knife around town. Betcha didn't know I was there, didya, didya?"

The captive pegasi just gaped at her.

"But then I got to thinking 'what would Dashie be doing with a knife all of a sudden?' I mean, each and everyone of my earlier guests had a believable scapegoat for their disappearances. I'm always very careful. So...why?

I believe you just said you had Nightmares? Well, so did I! I had one, however. Oh, it was the saddest dream I ever had!" Pinkie looked genuinely sad. "I died, but the dream continued. You were so very sad about what you had done-you flew away, covered in blood, singing and laughing but it was all so sad. Like kind of a….SADPLOSION!"

"So I decided to armor up when you number came up the next day. And now you should be happy Dashie!"

"H-happy?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"Yes! You didn't hurt me AND you've been proven right! You don't have to go all emo and be like 'I almost killed Pinkie Pie for no reason, I must be going crazy'. Aren't you happy? Isn't this great!" Pinkie smiled. "No we can be as one AND you don't have to have a Sadplosion cause you to Rocket to Insanity, Dashie!"

"Now…let's get to work on your other flank. I think I'll use my normal tools. You're knife cuts a little too well for my tastes." Pinkie giggled.

Nopony lost all sense of time from bearing witness to the horror that followed. It felt but like time had been scrunched together.

* * *

><p>Rainbow Dash started begging Pinkie Pie to stop, but she went and got her scalpel anyway and started to cut a circular slice around the flank <em>very carefully and slowly<em>, causing Rainbow Dash to scream. Now crying, (and with Nopony having joined in) Rainbow Dash just grit her teeth as Pinkie cut the skin from the muscle with her curved carving knife. Pinkie waved the Cutie marks for both Rainbow Dash and Nopony to see. Rainbow Dash actually seemed numb, like she was trying to not give Pinkie the satisfaction…or maybe the pain was tearing at her ability to feel emotions at all. Nopony sobbed for the both of them. Pinkie got out Dash's knife. She was looking at Dash's wings now. Rainbow Dash, who hadn't responded to the cutie marks, suddenly betrayed some weakness, with her quivering lip.

Pinkie nodded.

* * *

><p><em>Oh no.<em> Nopony figured out what was going to happen next. She shouted out more unintelligible protests. _You already took her cutie marks! You can't take those! I…she… we can't live without…without..._

With terrible playfulness in the smile on her face, Pinkie bit Dash's left wing, and stretched it out. She swung the polished, decorated, bloodstained knife through the air as if in slow motion….and struck Rainbow Dash's wing.

"AAAUUUUGGGHHH!" Rainbow Dash screamed as her wing was hacked repeatedly with her own knife. "Dash, if you keep squirming, I keep missing." She was struck again and again…Dash's screams betraying terrible pain. It was only after a while that Pinkie gave up and fetched a hacksaw, which cut the wing off with much more efficiency. Although it caused Rainbow Dash to vomit. She cut off the left wing, and then worked on the right wing. It was going smoothly but…

Pinkie smirked as she grabbed the halfway sawed-off wing. "Hey, Dash, think fa-!"

"DON'T YOU DARE DO IT!" Rainbow Dash all but howled in terror.

_Don't you dare do what? Don't you dare do WHAT! WHAT IS SHE PLANNING? _Nopony's eyes widened in terrific fright, trying to simultaneously brace herself for anything, but also stop her wild imagination from coming up with more and more horrible hypotheses!

"WHEEEEeEeeeeeeee!" Pinkie squealed as she _broke off_ the Other Dash's wing with her hooves and _tore off a strip of flesh_ _down Rainbow Dash's back along with it_! The horrible screaming fell _just_ short of successfully drowning out the _sickening_ ripping sound.

Nopony screamed…or tried to, but somehow that had turned into her throwing up in her own mouth again. _Oh Sweet Luna! …it went up my nostrils! I don't think I'll be able to eat another apple again for as long as I live after this!_

Rainbow Dash had passed out. Pinkie seemed to fume "Hmmph! Rude ponies are always going to sleep on me!" Rainbow couldn't tell because her eyes were blurry from crying, but after blinking a lot, she realized what Pinkie was doing.

Without any resistance from the shackled, pain-riddled pegasus, Pinkie took Dash's knife a _cut off_ a bit of the meat off of her hip. Nopony shut her eyes and looked away, recoiling from the utter_ vileness_ of the sight, but she could not shut out the nauseating smacking sound that followed. Rainbow Dash was down for the count and didn't seem to notice any of this.

_Stop that…stop that! _Nopony didn't try speaking but she let out a muffled sob.

Then, Pinkie grabbed a syringe and stuck it into her victim's chest. Nopony didn't flinch. Which surprised her, she always hated getting shots, and even watching other ponies get shots. She was absolutely the worse pony to have in the same room when a young child was getting stuck from the looks on her face she gave.

And now, no reaction at all. It said something about how her perceptive on what was and wasn't tolerable had changed over the short period time she had been watching this torture.

Rainbow Dash awoke with a start.

In a huff, Pinkie started talking "Didn't anypony teach you any manners-?"

As if realizing something, Rainbow clasped her teeth shut. With a lightning-fast motion, Pinkie had the bit of meat right up against her face. "Come on Dash, at least say something. Is that a yes? No? Needs a little hot sauce? It's a yes, isn't it? Well, come on then, Dash, eat it. Eat it! EAT IT! EAAAT IT! HAHAHAHAHAHA!"

Nopony was drooling over herself again, making the noise "UFFID! Ughibl ussghind! Ghli ughuh ugd id!"

"Fine. But it is bad manners you know." Pinkie said as she ate the rest of her… "sample."

"I didn't heat any nails today…"

"W-w-what?"

"Yep! We're skipping that step!"

"…." Rainbow Dash seemed torn somehow. She seemed…kind of resigned….relieved?

"Oh Dashie, I got something new instead of that!" Pinkie chirped merrily. She rolled the rack Rainbow Dash was on back, and She got out what looked to be a…video projector? After a few moments of setting it up, she turned it on, and projected an image unto the ceiling.

Rainbow Dash cried. She just broke down crying and wailing.

Nopony felt her heart break in two as she wept more quietly.

"Aw…you ponies are silly! It's just a pretty picture of the sky."

Indeed it was. It was a movie of the vast, endless sky. The sky that Nopony knew would do nothing but remind Rainbow Dash of what she lost. The clouds floated by as if part of a beautiful song of freedom.

"Oh look! There's little birdies in the sky! Look at them flying, Dashie! Look how much fun they are having! And, oh my, those are Pegasi! Do you know what Pegasi are, Dashie? What's that? You ARE one? Where're your wings then, you silly filly?"

Rainbow Dash just sobbed. "I h-hate you, Pinkie. I really, *hic!* really, fucking *hic* hate you."

"Geez! Some gratitude! And after all that work I went through to give you something pretty to look at too! I know you don't like my jokes, so…while I harvest…"

Pinkie stuck another needle into Rainbow Dash.

"You can just look at the pretty sky."

Nopony made a quizzical noise.

"I'm getting around to explaining, geez! I'm going to numb Dashie from the chest down, so she can watch the harvest. But if she doesn't like that very much, she can go back to watching the beautiful movie."

What followed was something of a blur for Nopony. It involved her repeated screaming "UFFID! UFFID! UFFID!" and Pinkie telling her to "Pipe Down, some of us are trying to watch the movie-slash-operate here!" and at one point "Oh, hey! Look! Awwww…its cute little filly Dashie! This was the day you got your cutie mark! You know…this thing? That I'm waving? Geez, I think you still are a baby Dash, from all this crying you do…" and also when Pinkie was removing another organ… "Hey Dash, I know you don't like my jokes, but I just have to say that this Appendix is terrible! I can't find the page I want to read at all! Get it? Huh? Huh? Bah, you're no fun…"

And one time she whispered in Nopony's ear. "You know…you're not going to get to see the sky ever again either…OH, LOOK!"

Pinkie stared up at the "sky", where there were none other than the Wonderbolts.

_...I'll kill her._ Nopony just couldn't help that thought. She just couldn't.

"Its the Wonderbolts! Aren't they totally awesome Dashie? Oh hey...that's right, you wanted to fly with them, didn't you?"

Fresh tears streamed down Rainbow Dash's face...her sobs and whimpers tore at Nopony's heart.

Around the time Rainbow Dash closed her eyes for the last time Pinkie was looking up at the projection on the ceiling and asking "Isn't the Sunset beautiful, Dashie?"

Then she was gone.

* * *

><p>Nopony wasn't certain when the the gag was removed from her mouth, but at one point, her constant stream of "UFFID's" turned into proper "Stoppit's".<p>

"Stoppit…Stoppit…*sob*…Stoppppiiiiiit…" This Rainbow Dash had cried herself dry.

"I did. Its over. And I want your opinion. What was your favorite part." Pinkie said.

Rainbow just stared at her. Trying not to look at the dead Rainbow.

She was genuinely trying to say something else. Something along the lines of "you're a monster" or "How could you" or "You're not Pinkie…"

But all she could say was another "Stop it."

"Oh come on! 'Stop it' wasn't a thing I did! You don't have to worry, you know. You're number only came up once, after all. You're safe. For now. Anyway, I mocked her with Gilda, I cut off her wings and cutie marks…."

"Stop it."

"Or how about the time that I showed her the sky after tearing off her wings and she was like 'I'm grounded! This is bogus, man…' Oh wait. She didn't act like a petulant teenager, she just looked like every inch of her heart was shredded into fine powder! Silly me!"

Rainbow, her mind filled with memories of the past hour, suddenly rolled her eyes up into the head and fainted.

* * *

><p>When Dash came to, the other Dash's body had been removed.<p>

She couldn't tell off the top of her head how much time had passed. She had just sat there in silence, trying in vain to forget what she had just seen. And to not worry about what was going to happen to her now. Or what has happened to…other hers.

Pinkie was there, with a plate full of unassuming, vanilla icing cupcakes.

"You've been out so long, I thought your poor, famished, little tummy could use some food! And lucky you, I just made cupcakes!"

_The same Cupcakes she drugged to knocked out her prey? …Actually, being unconscious right now doesn't sound so bad, all things considering…_

"You seem to be under the impression I'm giving you a choice here, Dash." Pinkie said, and shoved a cupcake into Dash's mouth.

"Umph! Hay…ow! I caf chew of myff ownph!" Rainbow protested as Pinkie tried to force her to chew.

Rainbow eventually swallowed.

A dangerous smile broke across Pinkie's face. "So what do you think? Does it taste like Rainbows?"

Rainbow blinked. What did that have to do…?

Pinkie winked.

Rainbow got it.

…_BUT. I. .AND WHATIWASTASTING- WHATHAVEIDONE?GETITOUTGETITOUTGETITOUT!_

_CAN'TBREATHECAN'TBREATHE…can't…breathe…_

Rainbow passed out again.

Pinkie decided to inject Rainbow with a needle. Rainbow didn't wake up.

Nor had the Baker pony expected her too.

She grabbed a scalpel in her mouth…and began to remove Rainbow's straight jacket and other bonds.

* * *

><p><em>"Hey Shadomena…"<em>

_"Ah! Oh…Shadashie! You surprised me there."_

_"Yeah. About that. Just what are you doing back there? What could be taking this long?_

_"hmm? Hmm…hmmmm…hmmmmmmmmm!"_

_"Stop that! You wouldn't be…TAKING ADVANTAGE OF MY POSITION OF WEAKNESS, would you?"_

_"Oooooh! You mean how you cannot just-"_

_"Yes! And you didn't, did you?"_

_"Oh heavens, no! Never crossed my mind! Say…You sound anxious."_

_"WE GOT COMPANY. PINKIE JUST FIGURED OUT HOW THE REVERSED PONYVILLE WORKS! You gotta "reset" Rainbow…I'll tie her up for now, but you really drug that out for way too long. I haven't quite pulled myself back together."_

_"Don't worry, Shadash! I've got just the thing! ust be sure you're ready to play with Rainbow in the Dream world before she wakes up. Well, the Dream-Dream world."_

_"Its hardly playing when I put so much on the line for your stupid scare tactics. Just don't mess up your end! Shadash out."_

* * *

><p>A tailless Pinkie Pie (she had forgotten it in the hospital but given up on it) wondered around the dreary Ponyville. The fog was getting worse...<p>

"Where's all this coming from? Arg...I can't see my _bangs_ in front of my face. Speaking of which, I need a comb or something...all that fighting and surgery and running is getting my hair tangled...arg...I need some..what do they call it? Moose!"

Pinkie continued to struggle through the fog, quibbling about why they call it moose anyway and about this one time she met a moose and how he didn't resemble a hair product at all until she bumped into something.

* * *

><p><strong>Post-Chapter Follow up<strong>: Ugh…I can't believe we did the whole thing. This chapter was a horrible ordeal, but I'm glad its done. I've been trying since Thursday to get this chapter done earlier…it didn't work out that way. It wasn't writer's block per se, I knew the general arc of the story, it just took a while to write this stuff.

Now, I would promise to have the next one ready by Friday, but I'm afraid that due to a certain cockroach-related incident, I'm going to be simultaneously taking a shower AND undergoing therapy for the next 100 years.


	15. Chapter 13: ANSWERS! kind of

**The Dark Side**

_Chapter 13_

_ Zecora walked towards the other Zebra, looking ragged and with bags under her eyes. Like she hadn't slept in days. The Zebra who looked like her, who haunted her dreams stood there in the ruins of her home village, and smiled._

_ They spoke in their native language…which had words that rhymed when you left them in Zebrese. Sadly, dear reader, we ARE going to translate them, so if they were Rhyming or not, you'll never know. It's far more important that you understand the meaning of their words…_

_ "Such a good girl." The Other Zecora said. "Even when I've encroached you so far and made you do such horrible things to your own family, you come back. Just like I knew you would."_

_Zecora said nothing. Her real family was safe in Zebrica._

Even if...even if that night would haunt her forever.

_ "You seem to have missed some sleep. Aw…pitiful creature. Do you give in to flight, only to hear me calling you…" Shadora stepped forward. "Every. Night?" The Evil Enchantress cackled. "There is no need to worry anymore! It will all be over soon, and you will sleep forever, leaving only me!"_

_ "No!" Zecora stamped. "I came here to destroy you once and for all! Now hear my challenge!_

_Light may enter the grove of shadow's throne,_

_and seek its Ultimate Nemesis_

_Light may witness secrets unknown,_

_and challenge like Shaharone,_

_The darkness that within the heart has grown,_

_to save a mortal's heart from its lethal Kiss."_

_ Shadora took a step back. But then smiled wickedly. "Alright…but remember: the victor of that first contest…was SHADarone."_

Zecora shuddered as she stopped walking down memory lane. She could only imagine how two dark sides would work together.

"Zecora?" Fluttershy asked nervously. "I'm sorry for asking if I brought up unpleasant memories…"

Zecora took a look around at the four ponies who were ready to drink the potion she had prepared. Actually, they didn't look ready at all. Applejack wanted to charge into the Grove and save her friends herself, and she seemed only interested in this plan because the other ponies were making her go along with it. Twilight Sparkle was looking incredibly skeptical that this 'Séance' was going to work, Rarity seemed to be hating all the incense that was filling the hut with the fury of a thousand white-hot suns….and Fluttershy was, of course, looking nervous.

"Think nothing of it, young pegasus. Drink the mixture now, and you shall enter the dream state. Journey then to the grove, where our friends are waiting for us. Learn all that you can, further questions will have to wait."

And then the five drank, and after a moment, fell asleep.

Curiously, Applejack's shadow left her body….

* * *

><p>Moaing..endless moaning. Moaning from creatures that were neither Pony nor beast. This was Limbo, a purgatory of shadows where one was all and all was one. The closest thing to the Instrumentality of Darkness...at least while the <em>universe<em> was in the way. A netherworld that had existed since before Equestria began, but which Shadash had only known existed ever since the Summer Sun Celebration. The one where Nightmare Moon returned.

Shadash was looking at the form across the way, the form of a Blue Pegasus with a Rainbow Mane was sleeping, wrapped in a dim glow. Shadash supposed this was where the light sides went when they were being reset…or was this happening just until she recovered from the nice little DECAPITATION Shadamena had given her?

Still, seeing the pegasus sleeping there, caused her to travel down memory lane.

As a shadow, Shadash had spent all her days following Rainbow Dash's every movement. Always tied to her. Always seeing the darkness in the other ponies Rainbow interacted with. Always finding all signs of love nauseating. Always dreaming of escaping from her fate to trail Rainbow. And always, always alone.

And then, the Great Disruption occurred. A great shift in the cosmic balance that had been a thousand years in the making. And the shadows of Equestria had their freedom. Since then, shadows could move freely about when the ponies slept. And that was when they met each other…and schemed.

As the shadows of the Element bearers, Shadash and the others were compelled to devise a plan to neutralize them.

So far this plan had gotten her strangled, soaked, and beheaded. Having an actual body was painful.

"But…the most disturbing thing…was back when I first found Pinkie in the Grove." Shadash mumbled to herself. "I told Shadamena it was just getting in character..but no…I really forgot which Pinkie I was chasing…who I was! What I was! It was…like I had become the Character Shadamena gave me. I really thought Pinkie was Shadamena and she had the power to turn me-ME, not Rainbow-into Cupcakes!"

_Not that I trust that filly ISN'T secretly like that. But why…why do I feel bad when I hurt her? Why'd I pull my punch when I slammed her head into that wall? And then I lose sight of her and only THEN do I snap out of it! WHY!_

Shadash threw her head forward, and it swiveled like it was about to fall off. Again. "AH! It still hasn't healed yet!"

"Whoo-wee!" a voice cut through the darkness. "Ah guess that's the price you pay for arrivin' to the party late. Ah'd call it bad luck, but we both know that ain't the real reason. Shadamena came up with the plan, while yer container just happened to be the fillyfooler who was in love with lucky lil' Pinkie Pie and chased after her before she even got reinforcements, clobberin' monsters and whatever other dangers that were fool enough to git in her way!"

"Shadowjack! What are you doing here?…and wait…Dash? A-and Pinkie? EWWWWW!" Shadash winced. "THAT'S DISGUSTING!"

"Ooooh! Are you blushing!" Shadowjack purred into Shadash's ear.

"We're shadows! Sillehouttes! We don't bluuuusssssshhh!"

"Its not good to be dishonest with yerself, sugar cube. Oh, and Applejack an' the others did something with Zecora an' are now in a hoo-doo trance of some kind, and lo and behold, it counts as sleep an' Ah can move! Thought Ah'd give you a little visit while."

"But back to mah point," Shadowjack continued talking, "you wouldn't have come up with the plan to git to the Grove first, and avoided this 'personality takeover' thing it's doing to yah whenever y'er near Pinkie Pie! And furthermore, if you got Rainbow to chase you, she wouldn't have met Zecora, and you could try to encroach her the norm-"

"I DIDN'T HAVE ANY SHADESSENCE! I CAN'T MOVE WHEN SHE'S WIDE AWAKE!" Shadash barked.

"CUZ YOU AIN'T GOT NO SENSE OF INIATIVE!" Shadowjack retorted. "Shadamena had a plan, so she got some, even though the rest of the shadows are doing The Really Big Important Plan wit' the rest of it. But yah didn't, and yer whinin's really quite pathetic."

"Keep your opinions to yourself, Shadowjack."

"No can do, Sugar! Unlike a certain Shadow-pegasus Ah know, the rest of us have plans to steal the Elements of Harmony from our containers. How can Ah take Honesty from Applejack if Ah ain't honest about mah feelings?"

"Wait…even Shadarity and Shadowshy? _Generousity and Kindness_? Sha…SHADOWSHY? KIND? She's the only one that scares me more than Shadamena! Well, Shadow Sparkle can drown the world in _pain_ and _screaming_ and _horrible blue light_, but she's normally pretty laid back."

"Ah think Shadowshy's exact words were-" and suddenly Shadowjack did a very good impression of Fluttershy's girlish tone and broke out of her country accent "Oh, I would just love little Fluttershy to death!" Shadowjack smiled and gave a creepy giggle.

Shadash gave out a surprised whinny. "You...you _dropped_ your accent!"

"Why of course." Shadowjack spoke in a refined accent. "I was ALSO there when Applejack went to live with Uncle and Aunt Orange, after all. Hadn't Applejack ever told Rainbow Dash the story?"

"I'm…not really interested in all of Rainbow's stupid friends."

"Are yah sure you and Shadow Sparkle didn't have yer containers switched at birth? Then again, I suppose you can't have Loyalty if you distrust everypony. Not that anypony out there is really trustworthy..."

"That's my point exactly! That stupid girl of mine is too busy showing off and basking in praise from complete strangers, any of which could be weirdos EXACTLY like Shadamena. If anything, she needs to keep her head down. She still needs to hurry up and become a Wonderbolt, but just for the pay and security detail…"

Shadowjack was looking at the decapitated pegasus strangely. "Ah think Ah understand the root of all your personal failings."

"What?"

"Shadash, yer a stinkin' coward is all. When Zecora eventually leads the rest of the Elements into the Grove, all four of us are ready t' be Challenged. Matter-o-fact, it's likely what they'll all do. Instead of this game y'er playing where yah ain't hardly SHOWN yerself to Rainbow Dash. You just have to win, yah coward." Shadowjack berated.

"It's not like that! I don't want to fight her!" Shadash's partially-decapitated head screamed.

The notes echoed in the darkness.

Shadowjack's nonexistent eyes widened. Then she snickered…and broke into a guffawing laugh. "Oh my. Ah guess there IS somepony yah like! And it fits so well! I reckon, yah really ARE Rainbow's shadow!"

"What are you talking about! You never clam up about anything else, so tell me! Why am I good match for Rainbow Dash?"

"Self Love." Shadowjack stated in a deadpan serious tone. And then she left, laughing all the way.

Shadash was stunned. She sat there, speechless.

"Hey, Shadash?" a soft voice came from the darkness.

"AH!" Shadash squeaked. "Oh…its just you, Sparkle. How are you feeling?" Shadash grinned nervously.

"Relax, I just want to talk…and see if I can't fix that head of yours. You need to be put back on schedule." The Shadowy unicorn poked Shadash's neck with her horn and it started to glow a grayish color.

"So…what WOULD you say you're relationship with Rainbow Dash is?" she asked.

"Ah…uh…I AM NOT A FILLY FOOLER!"

"And yet, you don't like Stallions."

"I don't like anypony."

"Except Rainbow."

"….Not like that." Shadash sighed. "Look, we didn't have to deal with this before."

"Deal with what?" Shadow Sparkle asked.

"Sentience. Individuality."

"Hmm…are you saying we were stupid before?"

"You know what I mean! ….Feelings."

"Yes…those tend to come up when you switch from a Nihil-based mind to a neuro-nihil one."

"Sparkle…you do of course realize that nobody understands your weird pseudo science language? I mean, we normally don't saying anything because we're afraid you'll make horrible, horrible things happen. But…just so we're clear on the matter, you _do_ know this right?"

"Sigh…look. Let's just say I do know what you mean. One day, Twilight was born and nothing was the same again…your entire state of being changed. But, oh look I think I've nearly fixed you. Perhaps you could tell me what exactly Rainbow means to you."

Shadash furrowed her brow.

"I guess the thing is…I've always known about the other ponies' shadows. Every day, Rainbow would walk by them, greeting ponies so happily. Not seeing the things I saw. Not knowing the thinks I knew.

Shadow Kicker? Total bitch.

Shadowshy? Complete Monster!

Shilda? I don't know…I just really hate that griffon. I'm so glad we broke up. Best. Thing. Shadamena's. Hyperactive. Annoying. Container. Has. Ever. Done.

And Rainbow herself? I don't know. Its like everytime we step out in public, we're surrounded…completely surrounded. And she doesn't know. It breaks my black heart."

"So, you could infer all that about the shadows before you could actually talk to them? Before the Great Disrutpion? You have Shadempathy? Say…what about Rainbow's parents? What are their shadows like? I kind of wondered the shadows of Twilight's parents would treat…me…like a …daught…ter…ARE YOU CRYING?"

* * *

><p>In a time before time, there was the ancient Instrumentality of Darkness. Perfect nothingness pervaded everywhere. And it was good. Or at least it wasn't bad.<p>

And then the Big Bang occurred and the entire neighborhood went to shit.

But still, Shadash was getting along fine. Just being the shadow of some rocks…then some dirt…then some grass. Actually she wasn't really "the shadow" of anything, and the past was a little confusing. Confound this universe where complex things come from simpler things!

But then Rainbow Dash was born. And Shadash "saw" the world differently. Or perhaps for the first time. Now that she was a pony…her entire method of interacting and understanding the universe seemed alien to her, and memories that seemed significant before but now no longer quite seemed to matter were seeping out of her like water through a sprainer.

So, she was much like the newborn foal whose movements she followed. Her earliest memory (not counting the part where she just lay there, waiting for Baby Dash to open her eyes for the first time) was actually of Rainbow Dash playing with her. They'd touch each others' hoof…and touch each others' hoof…and then they'd touch spin around and touch each others' hoof! Okay, it was silly, but it was also, the strangest, most wonderful feeling ever! Then two larger ponies came to Rainbow Dash and Shadash. Baby Dash looked up and naturally, so did Baby Shadash.

"Oh honey, look! She's playing with her own shadow! That's the most adorable thing ever!"

The Stallion and Mare Pegasi looked down on the both of them (well, Rainbow, mostly) with the warmest expressions Shadash had ever seen. Shadows didn't have faces, as such, so when Rainbow smiled back at the bigger ponies, Shadash didn't have to copy that motion in any way, shape, or form.

But she did anyway. She did it in all the ways, all the shapes, and all the forms she knew how to.

But still…they didn't notice her. They never would. They were too busy doting over the baby that was made of matter. This made her feel sad. But then, she saw the long black shapes that clung to the big ponies.

She didn't know why, but she had to look up at the shadow's faces. She just had to! She just began to understand what a loving family was, and she wanted one for herself.

She gave her widest, happiest shadow-smile and panned her gaze at her Shadow-mommy and Shadow-daddy, sure that they would receive her in open arms…when their containers allowed them too.

She couldn't make out their faces…they were just shadows, after all.

Shadash wouldn't take no for an answer! She..did something. She screwed up her "face" and suddenly, she could see something like a face on the other shadows.

And then Shadash felt her spirit break in two. No three. Too many pieces to count.

_Those eyes. Those cold, hateful, non-existent eyes!_ In stark contrast to the loving parents that stood in the light, the shadow-parents looked like they wanted to drown their "daughter" as much as anything.

Shadash couldn't even let her lip quiver…her whole body wanted to shake. This feeling…she didn't like this feeling…she wanted to express it somehow but she was trapped. Trapped! Trapped following this happy child who…

"Ooh! Oh Rainbow! I'm so sorry! You aren't hurt are you?" Rainbow's mother cooed. Rainbow had just head butted her mother's hoof and seemed to be tearing up.

"WAAAAAHHHH!" Rainbow wailed. Her parents moved to calm her down.

Shadash took the opportunity to scream and screech and yes, cry. All silently, but it was enough to make her feel even just the tiniest bit better about not being loved.

_Thanks…Rainbow. I guess I can always count on you…_

(In that sense, she could. Rainbow Dash was a reliably over-active baby.)

* * *

><p>"Don't. Ever. Talk. About. My. Parents. <strong>EVER<strong>." Shadash sobbed bitterly.

"Okay, okay…wow." Shadow Sparkle put her hooves up, genuinely shocked. She HAD to find out about that story.

"I hate all shadows! I hate all ponies with shadows! That means Rainbow is the only one I can trust! THAT'S OUR RELATIONSHIP!"

"Not listening…I'm busy recalling a certain memory-reading spell."

"Hey…What's going on with Rainbow? Her glowing aura thing's gotten all…spirally."

"Hmmm? Oh! I think she's going to be having another nightmare. Sent from Shadamena, by the looks of it."

Shadash got up. And walked over to Rainbow Dash.

"Hey…be careful! As a general rule, you shouldn't look straight up for at least an hour. Less your neck sprinkles blood EVERYWHERE. Its quite messy, trust me."

Shadash placed a hoof on Rainbow's head.

"Aww…are you getting rid of that for her? That's so sweet!"

"No. I'm making the nightmare worse. Shadamena's last one was forgotten like the name of a door-to-door salesman."

"What! But I thought…."

"This IS protecting her. Its about time she learned….the lesson my folks taught me."

Shadow Sparkle widened in surprise. After a moment, Rainbow began shuddering.

"I'm heading to the Grove. Thanks for the pick me up, you unholy Necromancer."

And then both Rainbow Dashes were gone.

And then she viewed the memory she had just retrieved out of Shadash.

Sparkle wept, hiding her face.

They were tears of joy.

That memory was….BEAUTIFUL. Such beautiful hatred!

_Dear Princess Shadestia,_

_Have I ever told you the thing I love about shadows? Even the ones with bright characteristics are still creatures of irredeemable darkness! Honesty begets Callousness! Laughter begets Cruelty! (SOOOO Much Wonderful Cruelty!) Kindess begets Dominance! Generosity begets…well, I'll write you a complete thesis on Shadarity one of these days._

_ And now, I believe I have even found out that our little lost lamb Shadash might have what it takes to steal the Element of Loyalty after all! I've just learned about her family life._

_ Specifically, that she HAD a family life. All through the wonders of Shadempathy! Don't worry, its not a sappy story at all! It's wonderfully tragic! Shadash basically grew up both loving her Container Rainbow Dash on one hand…and Distrusting ever other pony in existence! Loyalty begets Distrust!_

_ In short. My favorite thing about Shadows is how each and every one of them is SO messed up. Their wonderful! My wonderful little shadows! Wheee!_

_ I need to look into the matter with Shadash more, but I think you see the possibilities. I'll continue researching the Magic of Hatred as best I can._

_Your loyal disciple,_

_Shadow Sparkle._

* * *

><p>"Hey, other me! Come back! I just want to talk, honest! What happened to your tail? Did you get it stuck in something and get it torn off? Did a monster bite it off? Gasp! Is it a new style? Come on, I wanna hear the story! Where are you hiding?" the voice from the sky entoned as the Cycle-copter squeaked by.<p>

Pinkie Pie had dodged around the corner of another Block to avoid another torrent of darts. She had been running away from her doppelganger for about ten minutes now. Sure, she was able to take off like the wind, but she was also running low on energy, drained from her fight with Rainbow Dash. This was getting her nowhere.

_Still…How can I think about what to do when I'm barely able to stay ahead of her? Arg…and WHY IS EVER DOOR LOCKED AND IMMOBILE? I want inside! I've had enough of ponies trying to drop things on me now that I no longer have a twitchy tail!_

Above her, in the sky was the Cycle-Copter, refitted with a belt-feed Dart gun of some kind. As she turned around and flew by at a better angle, her attacker inhaled and blew into the barrel of the gun, releasing all her air in quick, choppy breaths that released a line of tranquilizer darts that marked a trail in the ground. She also dropped another balloon, which exploded on the ground, and released a pink cloud of…

_Oh no! Don't inhale, don't inhale don't inhale…_ Pinkie covered her mouth with her hoof. …But realized too late that she forgot to cover her nose.

"Ah…ah…ah…CHOOOO!" Pinkie was sent flying from the force of her sneeze! The sneeze powder also had the effect of blinding her as she struggled to wipe it all away from her nose. She walked on three legs back towards what she thought was a wall. She squeaked as she heard the 'Thunk! Thunk! Thunk!' of another stream of darts passing by her.

_Ugh…I need to get up there…or get her down to me. I don't think I can wait until she runs out of ammo. Think, Pinkie, think!_

The highest points in Ponyville where: the bell tower above the school house, the roof of the Town Hall, and the Balcony in Twilight's treehouse…. _Wait, that's it! _

"Come out, come out wherever you are…come on, it's just a little prick. I promise you can have a cupcake afterwards…" Dark Pink cackled. Then she rolled her eyes. "Have a Cupcake, _Be_ one….details! Measly little details! Just come out and pla-THERE SHE IS!"

Pinkie screamed as she heard (and _felt_) more darts landing behind her, but she didn't stop running. She dashed across the street, bounding around the corner to catch a breather. And so it went one for about four more streets.

_I made it! Twilight's house should be right around this cor…ner… NO! I FORGOT THIS PONYVILLE IS BUILT DIFFERENTLY! I'VE BEEN HEADING IN THE WRONG DIRECTION! AARRRRRRRRRGGGG_ "AAAHHH!" Pinkie had begun rising up by standing on her hind legs again, emitting frustrated growling was interrupted by another sneeze bomb exploding near her. And this time, she got a mighty whiff of it.

"Ah…ah….ah…AH….CHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Pinkie gave the loudest sneeze as she was propelled upwards into the sky…awfully high into the sky. She had risen her hindlegs before her forelegs and that angled her to be facing the ground. She flew past the Cycle-Copter….

And then as she began falling, she hit some kind of beam and wrapped her legs around it to keep her from falling any further. When she opened her eyes, she found that she was face to face with her attacker, the other Pinkie! She was holding on to the long barrel of the dart gun! Pinkie took this moment to note that the barrel was held in place by many reinforced supports and extended all the way along the purple-and-white striped "fuselage" of the craft.

(Had the Flower-horn not been replaced by a much flatter crosshairs, Pinkie had no doubt her hair would be getting tangled up in the spinning flower toy.)

"Oh my gosh, Pinkie! That was super fantastical amazing!" Pinkie heard her own sugary voice chirp. "Wow! We should've played like this the first time around! Be careful you don't fall…"

"Shut up!" The filly who was clinging for dear life yelled at the pilot of the Cycle-Copter, ending her declaration with a growl like a junkyard dog. Her straight hair flew dramatically in the wind. "I'm here to save Sweetie Bell!"

"Hee hee! Oh really? But, who's going to save you?" The other Pinkie started pedaling with her hind legs only as she plucked an unused dart from the belt with her free hoof and smiled maliciously at her stranded victim.

Pinkie tried to move, but her muscles were all but paralyzed, having locked out clinging to the gun for dear life. _No! It can't end this way!_ _I need to think of something!_

The Conference in Pinkie's mind had the following to offer:

_-Oh no… We'll probably be awake for the part where she plays ping-pong with our organs this time! Remember the dream? Dashie looked like she was getting sicker by the second…_

_-YES WE KNOW ABOUT THE DREAM, NO REMINDERS ARE NEEDED!_

_-Can't let go…Can't let go…_

_-Sweet Celestia I need sugar!_

_-We can't eat sugar. It's like this enemy was tailor made to just WRECK our chemistry with this whole "Make Pinkie afraid to eat sweets thing." I mean she took away Cupcakes, guys! CUPCAKES!_

_-Yay! We're flying! Oh my gosh I never get tired of flying and we aren't even the ones doing the pedaling, this is wonderful!_

_-Ooh! The sneeze-bomb button is Pink! PINK! Yay!_

_-You know…I'm starting to think we really are bad at this whole 'thinking things out' thing. This is exactly where we wanted to go and now look what happens. And we keep getting distrac…_

_-THE BEAST OF BEASTS SHALL RISE FROM HIS STONE PRISON, ANCIENT AND ABORHERENT, AND CHOCOLATE SHALL RAIN DOWN UPON ALL OF EQUESTRIA! WEEP ARROGANT DENTISTS, AND DESPAIR!_

_-Alright, who let the apocalyptic prophecy hobo out of her cell? Somepony's going to hang for this!_

_-Girls? Something's been happening to me…ever since we "died"…why won't you pay attention? Something isn't right…and the others who are missing…it's not right...it's not…_

_-__**Will ALL OF YOU Shut up! THIS IS OUR CHANCE! BITE HER PINKIE! GO UNDER THE DART AND **__**BITE HER FETLOCK**__** TO MAKE HER DROP IT!**_

The strongest voice's clarion call echoed through the entirety of Pinkie's being like a mighty war song (that sounded remarkably like this: .com/watch?v=vNwlu7Z1OLo&feature=related)

Still cling to the parts of the flying machine she held, Pinkie did just that! She sunk her teeth into the murderess' flesh!

The other Pinkie shrieked but did not let go of her weapon. "LET GO! LET GO YOU NAUGHTY, _NAUGHTY_ FILLY!" She screeched. "WE CAN'T PLAY LIKE THIS HERE, YOU'LL MAKE US CRASH! LET GO **NOW**!"

"No!" Pinkie growled through her clenched teeth! She was holding on with her teeth for dear life, as the flying machine began to spin out of control! "GGGRRRGGG!" Pinkie shook the hoof in her mouth violently, causing the dart to eventually be released and fall to earth.

"RAAARRR! I'LL MAKE YOU LET GO!" Dark Pink roared and she opened her own maw and prepared to bite Pinkie in her neck and feast on her delicious Trachea meats. Pinkie's eyes dilated in fear as she realized what was going on.

However, it was also at this moment that the Cycle-Copter was tipped over too far from the two ponies fighting. Pinkie was of course still wrapped around the gun, but Dark Pink fell out of her pedals and only had one hoof that was holding the machine and another that was being held by Pinkie Pie...

"Pew tooie!" Pinkie spat out Dark Pink's wounded fetlock. The dark pony felt her strength in her remaining foreleg giving out. "Pinkie! Help me!" she held up her bloody, wounded foreleg "Come on…you understand better you let on. You were curious weren't you? Weren't you? How was it?"

_What in the world is she asking me now of all times? _Pinkie Pie looked into Dark Pink's eyes and spoke as clearly as she could.

"Terrible!" she spat, mostly to get the blood off her taste buds, but partly into the other Pinkie's face.

Dark Pink looked like she wanted to make some kind of retort, but she hoof gave out and she fell to the ground.

Pinkie tried to look, but suddenly realized that she was falling too. The Cycle-copter came crashing down through the branches of Twilight's Library. Ironic that.

Pinkie rolled off and landed on Twilight's balcony, her legs aching. "Owwwww…" Pinkie moaned. _My whole body feels like lead. But even so…even so…That was FUN! _Pinkie snorted at her own childish thoughts. And then laughed. "Yeeheeheehee…Ahaahahahaha!" Pinkie's Mane stood right back up like a soldier springing to attention.

She couldn't really keep track of all the reasons she had to laugh. A good deal of it was simply the stress that had been accumulating all day long. Pinkie was starting to worry if she'd just cracked, but that thought just made her laugh even more!

But no…something was funny. She had just knocked the other Pinkie out of her flying war machine and spat in her face. She survived the crash landing so that she was still awake and intact.

Now was no time to rest. For you see, the funniest thing, the very funniest thing was….

_This is going to. be. so. Awesome!_

* * *

><p>The evil Pinkie pulled herself up and rolled onto the rooftop of the house she had grabbed on her way down. She glanced through the fog.<p>

If her long-honed murderer instincts didn't demand stealth and silence in this situation, she supposed she could've spoken some quip out loud to herself to relieve the tension. Sometimes it was hard being both Pinkie Pie and a flawless instrument of death. Sigh.

_Heh. My little Pinkie's becoming a biter. I'd be proud of her, if she wasn't in so much trouble. Hey…what is that noise?_

"Ahem…test, test, test test" a voice echoed over the fog, followed by a blaring sound. _What's a megaphone doing out here?_ Dark Pink thought to herself.

"Hello?" the voice on the megaphone continued. "May I have your attention, please? May I have your attention, _please?"_

Dark Pink heard a familiar mechanical squeaking noise.

"Will the real Pinkie Pie please stand up? I repeat. Will the real Pinkie Pie please stand up? We're going to have a problem here…" The voice on the megaphone sounded.

"Stop it. You are not the real Shady." Dark Pink called out to the fog.

"What's wrong?" A voice from behind asked.

Dark Pink whirled around and, and gaped. Pinkie Pie was riding her Cycle-Copter! She was threw the megaphone she got from who-knows-where over her shoulder.

"You act like you've never seen a pink earth pony before!" Pinkie grinned from ear to ear. This was great! She had gotten the Cycle-copter out of the tree, and it was all in one piece AND stocked with ammunition! Pinkie was bent on having a little payback.

Dark Pinkie didn't wait, she began bouncing along the roof tops of Ponyville as Light Pinkie used her own dartgun to try and shoot her down.

"Oh my, what will your friends think?" Dark Pink called back, shaking her hoof. "I'm going to tell them you're a biter AND a thief! Those are MY darts you…_aren't_ firing?" Dark Pink noticed the noise had stopped and looked up at Pinkie Pie.

Indeed, the darts had abruptly stopped coming. There was more in the belt, but the gun wasn't shooting anymore. Pinkie had on her face a look of frustration and she was blowing repeatedly into the dartgun.

It was no good. The gun was jammed. Pinkie pedaled faster and tried to regain her breath before she began to fiddle with the belt, trying to get them un-jammed! _This can't happen now! _Pinkie suddenly felt something break and the _entire belt _fell out of the weapon, crashing down to earth! This earned her another round of mocking cackles from her evil twin.

_Not now! Not when she's right…below me?_

Dark Pink was very, very confused by Pinkie's wide grin.

Pinkie _pounded_ the bright, pink, shiny, pink, candy-like pink button. Releasing a sneeze bomb! "AHAHAHA!" Pinkie laughed in triumph.

However, a well-timed tail twitch, and lightning-fast reflexes allowed Dark Pink to buck the Sneeze Bomb away from her!

Pinkie gaped. The Copter only had one Sneeze Bomb left.

Dark Pink stuck out her tongue. Then she giggled at Pinkie's frown.

"Hee hee…Don't feel bad…Hey, where are you going? Come back! You can't get away from me!" Dark Pink bounced off after Pinkie as she flew away.

_Oh now you think you can put me back on the defense just because I'm out of weapons? Too bad for you, I'm starting to think perhaps today __is__ a good day to die._

Then Pinkie turned around.

"Um?" the Dark doppelganger said.

**"RAMMING SPEED!"** Pinkie screamed and pedaled faster than ever, leaning forward and angling the Copter so it would descend upon Dark Pink.

Dark Pink's ears flattened. Pinkie laughed maniacally, enjoying this perhaps a little too much.


	16. Chapter 14: Tea with Cthulhu

Author's note: I hate this chapter. I hate this chapter. Ihatehatehatehatehatehate this chapter.

Oh, and btw, I'm not dead.

Oh, you'll probably find it hilarious/terrifying….or possibly terrilarious…but I had so many hang-ups and rewrites with this thing, I thought I would die of old age before I finished it. I don't even know what happened. I just…couldn't get it to flow right. I couldn't agree on how I wanted to do things. I am SO glad it's over.

Well, your waiting is over.

I am proud to present:

* * *

><p><strong>The Dark Side<strong>

_A My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Fanfic_

_Chapter 14_

Pinkie Pie had been having fun. She'd been worrying if she ever would have it again. But…chasing down the pony who turned Rainbow Dash against her and possibly murdered her once before in her own death machine was fun. A lot of fun.

* * *

><p>Ten Minutes ago….<p>

"**RAMMING SPEED!" **Pinkie Pie cried as she brought the Cycle-Copter down in the direction of the _other _pink pony. She cackled madly as she pedaled with all four of her hooves, hastening the descent to breakneck speeds.

Dark Pink's ears flattened. She had to admit she never expected Pinkie to try and actually kill her…Instinctively, she ducked.

This was a good move.

Not the right one, but good.

Pinkie _CRASHED_ into the roof, the Candy-Cane scraping and sparking along. The Cycle-Copter brushed by Dark Pink, a few sparks causing her to yelp in pain and lose her footing on the roof tiles! And then she rolled off the roof and fell to the ground, where Pinkie quickly rounded on her.

* * *

><p>Good times. Good times.<p>

Then she chased her all around town. Buzzing her in the direction she wanted to go. She even got her enemy to squeak and even whinny in terror.

But then…Pinkie got cocky.

Pinkie began matching the speed of her prey and flying low behind her. Pinkie's machine started to kick up a mighty dust cloud…everything was getting dirty. (The Fun Police Chief, Rarity, would've been totally appalled; it was the best thing EVER!) She slowly got closer…closer….

And then Dark Pinkie suddenly turned around and leapt! She wrapped her forelegs around the Candy-Cane's curled end, and then wrapped her hind legs around the rest of the Candy cane that made up the front of the flying machine!

"I've got you now!" Dark Pink sneered at Pinkie.

_EEK! _Impulsively, Pinkie slammed on the brakes!

This was not a well-thought-out decision.

But wasn't the wrong one.

The Propeller immediately stopped turning, and the machine dropped like a rock, falling all of 40 inches to the ground! …And leaving Dark Pinkie pinned under the machine!

It took a while for Pinkie to realize what had just happened; she sat there dumbfounded in the pilot's seat. Dark Pink clawed and pounded on the machine with her hooves for a while…the pipe pinning her rode right through the middle of her body, forcing her head to face off towards the left. Slowly, it dawned on Pinkie.

And she smiled.

"Gotcha."

"GGGRRRRRRR! GRRR! RAAAR!" Dark Pink continued to flail like a caged animal. "GET OFF OF ME!" She barked.

Pinkie crossed her fore hooves. "I said: Got. Cha." She said with a deadpan annoyed expression. Then she giggled. And the giggles broke out into maniacal laughter.

"WAHAHAHAHA! I WON! I won I won I won I won!" Pinkie cheered! "Take that, evil clone!" Pinkie pointed a hoof right at Dark Pinkie and continued laughing.

Dark Pink grit her teeth in a scowl.

And then, she turned it into a grin.

Pinkie's laughter became steadily unsure as the grin persisted.

"eheh…eheh….u-um….why are you smiling?" Pinkie's ears flattened. "Oh, Celestia, What is it now?"

"Now….You take a nap." Dark Pink smiled evilly.

Pinkie gasped and searched her body. She seemed perfectly unscathed…what and when in the world could she have-?

"Hehehehehe…I'm just kidding! You win." Dark Pinkie's grin shrank into what was merely a smile.

"Y-yeah." Pinkie giggled nervously. "I DO win."

"Now what?"

"Huh?" Pinkie's eyes grew wide. "What do you mean, 'now what?'"

"I mean, 'what happens now?' silly!"

"I…Giggle at the Ghostie?" Pinkie hadn't thought this far ahead.

"Oh no. Not yet. You have to finish the job." Dark Pinkie smiled with her most pleasant expression. "You could probably unscrew the bolt that connects the gun to the _Candy Chopper_, even without tools, and use it like a club! You're not the strongest of ponies, so the blunt force you produce per strike is probably going to be really weak. It'll be a long, torturous slog filled with horrible, soul-crushing screams to take me down, but at least all the meat will be tenderized!"

Pinkie stared involuntarily. She saw said bolt…and her body started to shudder. "N-no!"

"Or maybe you could just put more of your weight down on this pipe and crush me that way…"

"I'm not trying to kill you, you stupid pony!" Pinkie Pie screamed. "And I'm certainly not going to eat you! Just tell me where Sweetie Bell is! She better still be okay!"

"Come on, you've only really tried the fetlock! And you're right…it's not the best part of the pony. There are so many better cuts of meat! You have so much to discover!"

Pinkie had trouble finding her voice. "No! I-I d-don't-!"

"The cheek doesn't hold much meat, and you ruin the face by eating it, but it is a very nice, boneless section of meat…and depending on the pony, there might be a good deal of fat stored there."

"STOPPIT!" Pinkie covered her ears, trying to drown out the sound of the other Pinkie talking.

She could still hear "I actually have a certain book that gives a good list of what all the cuts are called. It's illegal, naturally, written by some carnivorous species, I forgot which one, but its such a helpful reference! Of course, for Cupcakes the best strip of meat is without a doubt-"

"SHUT UP! SHUT! UP! JUST SHUT UP!" Pinkie pleaded.

"There's only one way to shut me up! Take the first step! Come on!"

"There's no reason I would do that! I don't want to kill you, I need to show Dashie you're real! I need to save Sweetie Bell and bring you to justice! And If I killed you, there'd be no way to prove I'm me! So I have to-"

And then Pinkie realized something.

"Hehehe…You finally got it." Dark Pink smirked.

"It…doesn't really matter if you're alive or dead. There's no way to tell us apart either way. You could even kill me and try to pin everything on me."

Dark Pink cackled. "See? You'd be better off to just kill me now."

"But…no! Shut up! I just need time to think."

"You know, if you're afraid of being blamed anyway, I could tell you all the nifty ways you can avoid getting caught…How to make nopony question Mr. and Mrs. Cakes' mysterious disappearance for instance. Just in case you want a blanket of your own."

"Shut up!"

"And don't say you aren't going to try some afterwards. I KNOW you're curious, and it would be a shame to let ..."

Pinkie felt cold…a strange, black mist began surrounding her...

"me…"

The mist wrapped around Pinkie…

"go…"

and it form the shape of a dress…

"to…"

Suddenly, it materialized into something familiar! Pinkie, horrified, was wearing the same six-winged dress made from Cutie marks her foe was wearing when she killed her! As she shook, she heard unicorn horns clank together, and noticed she was also wearing the necklace!

"waste!"

Pinkie looked at herself…she felt defiled just having the dress touch her fur. Being wrapped in it…wearing it!

Trembling, Pinkie looked down at her captive.

"It suits you perfectly. It's too bad we don't have a mirror. Sniff… You're all grown up now…." Dark Pink said with something dangerously close to sincere maternal pride.

_**"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"**_ Pinkie tried to tear the dress off, but it just became smoke again and reformed back to its resting place! She flailed and kicked, trying to get the dress-fog off and away from her!

"I'm not like her! GET IT OFF! GETITOFF! WHY WON'T IT COME OFF!"

She fell out of her seat, rolled around on the ground, kicking furiously…it was vile…horrible…attention-consuming…

No really, she never noticed the form sneaking up behind her…nor the small prick on her neck. She just kept screaming and hollering until she fell asleep.

"And that's why you can't get ahead in life if you just drop what you're doing." Dark Pink smiled. "Gotta buckle down and finish the job, Pinkie…"

Unbeknownst to Dark Pink, a strange entity was following her, watching…

A Wraith. Its eyes glowing with terrible wrath. A Wrathful Wraith.

* * *

><p>Pinkie Pie felt something warm and moist rubbing against her. Steam filled her nostrils and she was rubbed all over her face. "Mmm…Missus Cake, please, I can wash my face on my own, stop treating me like a baby…I thought you stopped doing that…" The rag continued to rub against her, and Pinkie tried to bat the cloth away…<p>

Only to find that she couldn't move her forelegs to try.

With a sudden twinge of terrible insight, Pinkie opened her eyes, gasping out loud! She knew where she was! She looked around the room, and there it all was!

The horrible pastel-colored wallpaper! The traumatizing dolls made from cloth and plush! The terrifying cheerful décor! The bright windows _maliciously_ letting sunlight into the room! The vile WOODEN table! The nauseating tea set made from….from…PORCELAIN! Hey, wait…..

….Okay, scratch that, this was wasn't what she was expecting at all.

"Hmmph! Really now! And after all I was just trying to do was clean the blood YOU made me bleed unto your face!" Pinkie saw, with no small amount of horror, her doppelganger lean into view, showing Pinkie her bandaged hoof! She was smiling mischievously, despite the injuries and grumpy tone of voice.

Immediately Pinkie tried to move, but all she managed to do was fall forwards and hit her head against the table. "Ow!" she squeaked.

Dark Pink giggled. "Oh Pinkie, you need to be careful. You can't stand up when you've been tied to a chair, silly!"

Indeed, that was what had happened. Pinkie's body was laid out in a most unnatural position for an equine. Well, an equine who wasn't Lyra, anyway. Pinkie's body was slouched, with her upper body tied to the back of the chair, and the hooves of her forelegs tied tightly to the arms of the chair. Her hindlegs were tied to the front legs of the chair. Her belly was exposed and protruding outwards. Finally, a segment of her back, that would otherwise be unsupported, was propped up by some kind of pillow.

Pinkie continued to struggle, trying to get out. "Nope! Still tied so you can't escape! You never learn, do you?" Dark Pink mocked. "But that's one of the most endearing things about you, Pinkie! Heeheeheehee!"

As Dark Pink righted Pinkie and brought her back up, Pinkie Pie tried to piece together what was happening.

…..

…..

…nope, this whole "tea party" thing came _completely_ out of nowhere.

"Um…Pinkie?" asked Pinkie. "What's going on?"

"Oh! Well, you really are fun-" Dark Pink was suddenly interrupted by a loud GASP!

"SWEETIE BELL! What have you done with her! She better be okay!"

"Sweetie Bell? Oh, she's fine, for the moment." Dark Pink smiled evilly "But if you don't mind! I was talking here!"

"She's not hurt?" Pinkie felt relieved, but confused. What was she saving Sweetie Bell for? Was she just not interested in talking about Sweetie Bell and lying to get around the subject? _Still…if Sweetie Bell is okay, then maybe while other me is here, she isn't keeping an eye on her. Maybe I can stall for time so Dashie can find Sweetie Bell, or even for Sweetie to try to escape herself! Maybe since she's a little unicorn, Meanie Pie didn't saw off her horn yet…and maybe that'll matter._

"No. But, I have to say, I'm touched. You came right back to see little ole me…so soon? Just because Sweetie Bell was in danger?"

"Y-yes! Of course I did! Let her go, please! She's just a little kid! You can do what you want with me, but let Sweetie Bell go!"

Dark Pink laughed with icy mirth. "Aw…maybe you should be called 'Sweetie.' Rarity's sister is actually a little hellion. I tell her to just sit still and she screams like I'm poking needles in her."

"Were you?" Pinkie asked. Then she realized something "Ah! No! On second thought, wait! I don't think I want to know the answer to that."

"Humph. Anyway, The name doesn't suit her at all. And…I needed a nickname for you, but 'Tasty Pie' sounded mean. Don't you think, Sweetie Pie? Hey! That also has a double meaning, so you can also be 'Tasty Pie!'"

"Sounded mean? When has that ever stopped you, MEANIE PIE! …..Ugh, that name still doesn't sound right, you're too pure evil."

"Meanie Pie?" Dark Pink giggled. "That's so cute! I love it! From now on, you can call me 'Big Sister Meanie pie!"

"Go get eaten by a hydra." Pinkie said in her grumpiest voice.

"Aw…you say the nicest things, Sweetie Pie!" Dark Pink petted Pinkie on her head. "Now, as I was saying, you are really fun, and I was thinking maybe we got off on the wrong hoof, so I decided to get to know you better!"

"GOT OFF ON THE WRONG HOOF!" Pinkie roared. "You haunted my dreams, made me think for one terrible moment that I killed Dashie, drugged me, cut off my cutie marks, KILLED ME, and after my unexplainable 'not-dead-ness', you got me being chased by a crazy Dashie all over town before you tried to mow me down with your flying death machine!"

"_I know!_" Dark Pinkie squealed. "_Wasn't it fun!" _She clapped her hooves together…and immediately cringed as one of them was still injured. "ow…"

"Hey wait…stand up again for a minute." Pinkie just noticed that her doppelganger had been wearing a pink party dress. She didn't notice it before because it blended in so well with her coat. Well, that, and Pinkie was slightly overloaded dealing with all the other sudden stimuli. But, the dress had a white apron, and on that apron was something….blue and yellow.

"Oh…you noticed my new dress? Take a look!" Dark Pink grinned wide and giggled. She sat up and proudly presented her apron. On the center were six little balloons. Six very familiar looking balloons.

Pinkie shuddered. Without even thinking about it, she strained to look at her cutie marks. Her neck wasn't as restrained as the rest of her body, but it was still tethered to the chair. She couldn't make see them from the angle she was sitting, but she could tell her flanks were not bare muscle either….

"Do you like it? Isn't it just key-ute? Oh, I makes me fill all bubbly inside! Well, bubbl_ier_!"

Pinkie had gotten over the dress made from _her_ surprisingly quickly. Her mind was racing with thoughts. "Hey, since we're already doing this, is it alright if I ask you some questions? Such as: am I…invincible now? And…how'd you know I was coming? Don't pretend you didn't know because you were both ready to go with your Candy Copter and you didn't even act like I was a ghost or anything."

"Hmm?" Dark Pink purred quizzically.

"I'm still able to be hurt, since Crazy Dashie cut off my tail and beat me up, thinking I'm you…."

"Hmmmm!"

"So I can't be a ghost or anything…"

"Mh-hmmmmmmm!"

"STOP DOING THAT! ANSWER THE QUESTIONS, NOW!" Pinkie glared at her hostess, her eyes becoming pinpricks!

"Psstt..AHAHAHAHA! Your frustrated face! It cracks me up!" Dark Pink broke down laughing.

"Look! If you won't tell me, why don't we skip to the next bit!" Pinkie growled.

"Oh, come on, don't be like that! I'll tell you, I promise!"

"Like how, when I met you the first time, you promised the cupcakes weren't made from ponies?" Pinkie glared.

"Oh I never promised that!"

"Yes. You did. You did a Pinkie Pie promise! And guess what? You've lost my trust. F-

"FOREVVVEEEEERRRRR!" Dark Pink interrupted. Then she giggled at Pinkie's surprised expression. "Oh you silly filly, I didn't break my promise! I promised that there were no ORGANS in those cupcakes. I use them for balloons! So, you don't have to worry about me breaking your heart….in fact, I have it right here!"

And then, Dark Pink retrieved a grotesque, inflated heart painted in a pink pastel, and connected to a yellow string. While Pinkie was _throwing up_ in her mouth a little, Dark Pink tied the balloon around one of the arms of Pinkie's chair and smiled in an almost motherly manner. "There you go. Don't let it get away from you now!" She giggled at Pinkie's annoyed expression, but abruptly stopped, giving a little frown.

_I feel like I should be getting worried about her change in mood…but I think my brain got broken somewhere along the way. _Pinkie thought to herself.

"Actually, now that you're all settled, I think I'll talk to you about Dashie for a while. You say she's cut off your tail? Hmm…I thought she was looking a little grumpy, but she wouldn't have done that unless she somehow suspects me."

"She says she saw you and Sweetie Bell in a dream..." Pinkie spoke up, before she really thought about it.

"Hmm? A dream? Really? She cut your tail off and hurt you over a dream?" Dark Pink stared at her. "That seems kind of sudden."

"N-no! She knows about you. I'm sure of it. I-I know about you from a dream." Now that Pinkie thought about it, the Rainbow she'd been fighting had appeared a very, very sleep-deprived. "Maybe it was more than one dream? Since I saw you in a dream, this opens up all kinds of possibilities! Maybe a little bird told her?"

"Sweetie Pie….you didn't immediately attack or run or anything. You were nervous, but you weren't sure. You didn't know for sure if I was a threat, and, like the sweet, trusting, naïve filly you are, you completely failed to cut off my tail and chase me around town.

Buuuut…if she just knows about me from a dream, she probably doesn't have any decisive evidence. So she can't go around making wild claims like

After a certain mistake she made recently of accusing the wrong pony for one of my victim's disappearances, she was humiliated in front of all of Ponyville. So, she's probably only going all Pony hunter on you and raiding Sugarcube Corner like she did earlier today because she has no credible with any pony."

Pinkie almost hesitated to ask her next question. "Who was the pony Dashie accused the first time?"

"Oh, Apple Bloom." Dark Pink said as she took a sip from her cup of tea.

If Pinkie had only taken a sip of tea-which is to say if she had been ABLE too-she would've done the Mother of All Spit Takes.

Choking on her Salvia instead, Pinkie Pie blustered incredulously. "APPLE BLOOM? APPLEJACK'S LITTLE SISTER? SWEETIE BELL'S FRIEND? WHY? HOW DID DASH THINK SHE COULD PIN THE BLAME ON HER OF ALL PONIES?"

Dark Pink smiled and said "I know. It's crazy right? No wonder she's trying to take me down without help. One word about 'dreams' and forget the rest of Ponyville, Applejack _herself_ will haul her off to the crazy house."

"…Wait…Applejack and Rainbow didn't…break up their friendship, did they!" Pinkie gasped.

"And Scootaloo hasn't been talking about Rainbow Dash much nowadays either. Now that she's knows who really is behind it, Dashie might be holding a grudge against you. Well *giggle*, me. Oh, and if I'm correct, she's apparently sleep deprived and won't listen to reason. I mean, you HAVE tried reasoning with her, haven't you?"

"….." Pinkie glared at her doppelganger.

"Ah…seems like that's not going well."

"She thinks I'm you. I mean, that there's a nice, non-killer Pinkie out there, and she's sharing the same body as the evil one."

"Really? What a fascinating, obviously false idea." Dark Pink said with an air of irony.

"S-stop that! We're obviously not the same pony, you keep tying me up!"

"I guess so. Anyway, It sounds to me that Rainbow Dash is trying to kill you." Dark Pink saw Pinkie about to say something. "And don't say its not true! I didn't give you those bruises you had on the side of your head when I brought you in!"

_I…she did slam me into the wall pretty hard…_

"She said that she didn't like my 'sack of rine' personality anymore and that everypony would be better off with me dead."

"Mm hmm…"

"BUT THAT'S NOT HOW SHE REALLY FEELS, IT'S JUST THE STRESS!" Pinkie screamed back!

"My, Pinkie, you should have 'relationship abuse' tattooed on your head."

"O-or at least that's just how she feels about you! I know that MY Dashie at least would never-"

"Oh! Oh! Your Dashie! That reminds me! I nearly forgot about her. I visited her last night, if you remember. Somepony has likely found her and untied her by now, so she'll probably have the whole town looking for you, so if you ever escape, you probably still can't go back home."

Pinkie Pie stared at her clone for a moment.

"What?"

"You can't go home ever again, Pinkie. My bad." Dark Pink said, not sounding apologetic at all.

"What?"

"Well, you can escape from this world where only me and my Dashie can see you, but you can't actually go home."

"WHAT!" Pinkie shrieked. "Dashie would never do that to me! I'll explain! I know this whole event sounds crazy, but…unlike you two, we're actually friends! We trust each other! We-"

"Honk!" Dark Pink poked Pinkie's nose, causing the very confused mare to just stare at her blankly. "Heeheehee! I'm sorry, Sweetie, I just have an irresistible urge to do that every time you let your guard down. The surprised look on your face is PRICELESS!"

_I'm starting to remember why I found you officially annoying. Do you know I never found any pony annoying before I met you?_

"Anyway…maybe you're right. You would know better than I would. Although, " I suppose you'll find out….if my Rainbow Dash doesn't kill you first." Dark Pink smirked at Pinkie.

Pinkie shuddered, but then frowned. "Wait. I keep coming back, don't I?"

"Ah yes…actually, I think it works like this: You can't be killed by me, because _your_ me. However, if my Dashie or some other pony gets you, you're dead for good."

"…I guess I'll just have to be careful. Wait, do you actually know that's the case or are you just trying to scare me?" Pinkie Pie glowered.

"I guess there's only one way for you to find out." Dark Pink answered in a sing-song voice. "It's not like you'll have any options. You'll have to fight back to survive. Heck, you're probably just one bad day away from snapping. I mean, you're all inexplicably moody and junk."

"INEXPLICABLE!" Pinkie yelled once more, her chair bouncing off the air and hovering a little bit as she screamed. "INEXPLICABLY MOODY? I ALREADY TOLD YOU, I'VE BEEN SUFFERING PUNISHMENT FOR YOUR CRIMES!" And then, as an after thought, Pinkie added "….AND I HAVEN'T HAD ANY SUGAR ALL DAY! AND IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT!"

Dark Pink gaped at Pinkie. And then looked guilty. "Oh no. Pinkie. I'm so, so, sorry."

Pinkie was confused by this sudden change in tone, but pressed the attack. "Y-you should be!"

"I mean…how could I have been so heartless? So stupid! It IS a tea party after all…"

The strangeness of this sudden turn the conversation had taken was sinking in, and all Pinkie could manage to say to this was: "…..lolwut."

Dark Pink ran off somewhere and returned _way too quickly_ with a plate of cupcakes. "Here you go! I forgot to bring your sweets!"

The Cupcakes were Pink. The Icing was Pink. The Sprinkles were Yellow and Blue.

They were Pink-on-Pink cupcakes with Yellow-and-Blue sprinkles.

"…" Pinkie tried to say something, but no words came out.

"Aww…do you want me to feed you?" Dark Pink offered helpfully. Before Pinkie could answer, Dark Pink picked up a piece of cupcake (Pinkie hadn't realized before now that they had been minced into little pieces) and stuffed it in her mouth!

Pinkie squealed and squirmed, although Dark Pink was holding her mouth shut, not letting her spit up the vile confection. She was also covering Pinkie's nose with her bandaged hoof, cutting off her oxygen!

In desperation, Pinkie thrashed her head back and forth until suddenly…there was a "**crash**!" as Pinkie broke free and her chair fell backwards!

…followed most unfortunately by a "gulp!"

The Silence that filled the room afterwards could be cut with a knife.

One mare's surprise gave way to an expression of pure glee. The other one an expression of utter horror.

_I just…ate myself._

"How was it? Did you like it? You probably can't tell immediately that it has meat in it, but you can tell something is different, can't you? It was good, wasn't it? Do you want more? Maybe some tea to wash it down?" Dark Pink prattled on.

_I just...ATE myself._

"Oh, don't look so horrified! It's not like you're different from most the other ponies around here. They don't even know what they're eating, and they enjoy it pretty well. Although, your meat is sweeter than the average ponies…you should've just stopped being a baby and eaten that one I made of Twist I gave you. The young ones really are the tastiest…"

"**I JUST **_**ATE**_** MYSELF! AHHHHH!**" Pinkie screamed.

Her entire body felt vile, but she couldn't make herself throw up. Somewhere, inside her stomach was a bit of first body…that meant…that meant….okay, Pinkie had NO idea what that meant. She thrashed all the harder, although all she did was cause the chair to roll over on its side.

"GET IT OUT! GET IT OUT!"

_Whoa…déjà vu. _Dark Pink thought to herself, smirking. _Sadly, I've learned from Dashie's little escapade. I'm sorry, Sweetie Pie, you swallowed yourself, and you're keeping her…um, it…you…hmm, this language needs more pronouns. Seriously, nopony thought savaging your own former body after miraculous regeneration might never come up?_

Dark Pink patted Pinkie's slouching tummy and started rubbing it. "Aw…you finally ate one! I'm so proud of you!" she smiled with glee.

"Wha-what are you doing?" the shock of being touched was enough to break Pinkie out of the trance she was in.

"Hmm? Oh, I'm just helping you digest your meal faster."

Pinkie started to break into an outright panic. "STOP THAT! Please…stop that and do something!"

"I don't know what you mean." Dark Pink said in a cheerful tone, rolling her eyes. "There's nothing _I _can do to get it out…" she turned her gaze to look Pinkie in the eye. "Is there?"

Pinkie gulped. She knew what the other Pinkie was alluding to…the part where she cut out her victim's organs and even cut open their stomach while painkillers allowed them to stay awake and watch it happen.

She couldn't help it…the thought of digesting her own previous life's flesh was almost as disgusting as it was confusing. _Is it really __me__ me or…gah! MY BRAIN! IT HURTS! IT'S ALL TIED UP IN LITTLE KNOTS JUST FROM THAT!_

"F-fine! Do it!"

"Do it? You mean…go on to the next part?" Dark Pink's eyes gleamed with demonic light.

"Yes! The next part! The next part! And hurry to the last part of the next part! Just get it out of me!"

"Well, if you say so." Meanie Pie smiled smugly.

Pinkie shut her eyes…not wanting to look.

She felt something cold pressing against her…and then she heard some kind of ripping sound.

But, she didn't feel anything other then the cold thing moving around her hip in a circle. It was eerie…but she didn't want to look. _Has she already stuck me with the painkiller? But wait…I still would've noticed her on some level…_

_ Hey, what's she doing now? It feels like she's…_

With a start, Pinkie opened her eyes again. "ARE YOU RUBBING MY TUMMY AGAIN? WHAT ABOUT THE NEXT PART?"

"Oh, your cutie marks are right here!" Dark Pink was holding two scraps of skin with Yellow and Blue Ballons on them. As she said this, she continued to rest the knees of her fore legs on Pinkie's stomach, rubbing it gently.

"What? Why..how did I not feel that?"Pinkie said, dumbfounded…but snapped out of it to flail her hooves at Dark Pink (as best she could). "I told you to stop that! I wanted you to do the dissection and get it out NOW!"

Dark Pink blinked for a moment, staring at Pinkie as if to say "what dissection?" then, she rolled her eyes and said "Oooooh….right….."

"If you understand, then stop doing that!"

"Heehee…you're funny Sweetie Pie. Out of all the ponies I met, you're the only one who wants me to harvest you. Do you know how many ponies would've begged that I just give them a tummy rub instead? You're acting like its some kind of horrible torture!"

"You'd be amazed what circumstances can do for restructuring your priorities." Pinkie said matter-of-factly. "NOW GET THIS CRAP OUTTA ME!"

"Aw…but now that I think about it, a Pinkie-filled Pinkie sounds delicious!" Meanie Pie hugged Sweetie Pie's stomach and placed her head down on her belly, which she nuzzled. "And then when I eat you, I'll be a Pinkie-filled, _Pinkie-filled_ Pinkie!"

"Please! I can't stand it anymore!" Pinkie pleaded. "You're a monster who does this all the time, you don't understand! You don't know how sick this makes me that I just…ate another pony! E-even if I just ate myself. And don't you say any quips about it! I-I don't really know how bad that is because it's me. But…its disgusting and wrong and…and…you're trying to train me to like them so you can turn me into you!"

"Aw. It's not so bad once your stomach gets used to it, Sweetie. And then, you can't get enough of it! Or at least…my cupcakes seem to certainly continue to sell very well around town!

Also…it would be a lot of fun to have two of me around! GASP! We could be twins! Oh we could play the most wonderful games with two of us! We could certainly take down Dashie with two of us…. But I guess there is a reason that I don't want you to kill Dashie per say." Dark Pink mused.

This statement caught Pinkie off guard. "…Why not?"

"Because, silly! If you kill Dashie, you'll be allowed to escape and return to your Ponyville, and I won't be able to play with you anymore."

Pinkie sat in stunned silence. Blood dripped from her strangely numb flanks unto the chair and drizzled down her leg as she stared at Meanie Pie.

Then she snapped out of it. "YOU'RE LYING! This is just another trick! I'll never do that!"

""Oh silly, it doesn't matter if you believe me or not. Dashie has gone nutso. I might have to get Dashie myself, just to protect and making sure. I might even use a method that kills her instantly so I can't play with her, just to be sure." Meanie Pie said matter-of-factly. "Oh but don't worry! If you get stuck here, with nopony but me can see you, I'll take care of you! I'll be the nice and give you all the cupcakes you can eat!"

The murderous baker gave another icy giggle.

Pinkie shuddered. The idea of being trapped with Meanie Pie for all eternity was terrifying. She had a single treacherous thought that maybe she should try to beat Meanie Pie and take out Dash herself. She could at least do it in the kindest…._no. what am I thinking? WHAT AM I THINKING?_

"…lying." Pinkie Pie said softly. "…Everything, and I mean _Everything,_ you say are lies. Including being nice to me."

"Why, whatever gave you that idea?" Dark Pink said innocently. And started rubbing Pinkie's tummy lovingly again.

"You say that as if I'm not bleeding from my where you cut off my cutie marks." Pinkie said, no particular emotion in her voice.

"…Okay. Starting _tomorrow_!" Meanie Pie promised.

_Uh huh…hey, wait a second, something's wrong he- _ "….AHhhh! AND STOP RUBBING ME!" Pinkie shrieked!

"Oh, Sweetie Pie…don't you know it's definitely gone by now? It was just a little sliver of cupcake!"

"Digestion can't possibly work that fas-burp!" The pressure in Pinkie's stomach was expelled before she even knew it was there and she burped. Pinkie suddenly felt even more nauseous. That couldn't be a good sign.

"Good girl, Sweetie!" Dark Pink cuddled up against Pinkie. "Anyway, I'll TRY to be nicer to you after that since you'll never see your friends again. Now then, just leave that mean ole Dashie to me!"

"NO! LEAVE HER ALONE!"

"You can't reason with her-"

_**"BECAUSE OF YOU!"**_Pinkie released such a titanic scream that it threw her voice out!

"Hmm….Yeah, probably. But you know what? Do you, do you, do you? Huh, huh, huh?"

Pinkie was too busy panting to answer.

"You don't even know if any of this is real. If…you're real."

"**don't give me that**." Pinkie rasped. "**you just tried to tell me that if I hurt-"**

"_Kill_…." Meanie sang.

"**HURT Dashie I can escape**. **Now you are trying to tell me that none of this is real?**" Pinkie retorted.

"Well you don't really get hurt. I've been stabbing you in the flank with my knife REPEATEDLY ever since I cut off your cutie marks."

Pinkie, speechless, looked at her flank. The knife went in…the knife went out. The knife went in…the knife went out. The knife went in…the knife went out. She didn't feel any of it. She looked back up at Meanie's face.

Dark Pink looked at Pinkie with pleasant eyes….and then her pupils shrank into dots while her irises widened.

"Are you sure you aren't just a figment of _my_ imagination?"

"**what**."

"Coming back to life? You know that's not possible. That other Pinkie Pie is dead. You're me. We do share the same body."

"_**what?"**_

"Maybe there's only one Pinkie Pie, and she's the one doing the harvesting. But she feels bad for the ponies somewhere in her heart, so she imagines she's torturing herself, so that THAT Pinkie gets to pretend to be nice again. But the nice Pinkie just thinks she's being brave not yelling and screaming, she doesn't realize that it doesn't hurt because she's not actually there. THERE'S ANOTHER PONY CHAINED UP RIGHT WHERE YOU ARE, SILLY! AND WHEN I CUT YOU, I'M REALLY CUTTING MY NEWEST VICTIM!"

_I'm…what?_

Meanie Pie stopped and looked at Pinkie as if she was listening to her say something. But she wasn't. It was almost like some other pony was speaking up that Meanie could hear but Pinkie couldn't. "Oh, I'm sorry, Sweetie Bell. I'm talking to my other self. Let's continue…"

And then she stabbed Pinkie in the chest. In areas all over her chest. Pinkie didn't feel any of it.

_I'm a figment…no. I'M SWEETIE BELL? O-or projected over Sweetie Bell? All this time she was calling me Sweetie?... She's not hurting me…SHE'S KILLING SWEETIE BELL!_

"**STOP! STOP! PLEASE PLEASE STOP! SHE'S JUST A LITTLE FILLY! NO! I BEG YOU TO STOP! NO! NO! NO! NOOOOO!" **Pinkie screamed bloody murder even though her throat was aching. ..Even though she didn't feel anything. This had to be a lie…and yet, if it were true…she had to try and get the other Pinkie to stop. To try and save Sweetie Bell. What _good_ was she if she couldn't do that much! "**I won't run away from you anymore! I'll do whatever you want! You can keep Sweetie Bell locked up! Just stop please stabbing and try to patch her up! STOPPIT!"**

"Hee heee heee eeeeeaa AHAHAHAHAHAHAHHA HA HA HA HA-OH WOW, YOUR SCREAMS ARE TOTALLY HARMONIZED! YOU REALLY COULD BE THE SAME PONY! !"

Pinkie's voice eventually gave out. Her body still didn't hurt, but it felt incredibly heavy. Blood was everywhere. Before she fell unconscious, Pinkie noticed the stabbing did finally stop.

"Oh, and you not being real and killing Dashie being your ticket out isn't really mutually exclusive. It's complicated, but I can PROMISE you it makes sense in context. Here, I'll Pinkie promise!"

Then she did some pantomime that Pinkie was too busy dying to make out.

* * *

><p>The Wrathful Wraith had never felt so much impotent rage in its existence. In any form of its existence.<p>

It had carried itself gracefully even in times of difficulty. Even when it saw the one it loved and wanted to protect being encased in some kind of illusion and screaming in horror. That had been the birth of its terrible wrath, but it wasn't the reason its mane was so dishevelled.

And it was disheveled now. Its hair was spectral, and not subject to normal laws of physics, and yet, perhaps the wraith's own body was disturbed by what its spirit had seen. Or perhaps its form was changing to that of a wild animal as its own helplessness drove it mad.

It cursed the Shadow. Screamed and hollered and attacked the Shadow fiercely. It said things about the Shadow, oh, it never thought it would ever be so lost in anger before today.

It was all for naught of course. The shadow didn't know it was there. None of the attacks connected. None of the terrific swears, each one less in keeping with the Wraith's normal ettequete than the last, were heard.

The Shadow didn't even seem to feel cold. How could it not feel this terrible cold? The chill that crept into every corner of the Wrathful Wraith's being. Or did it project like an aura from the Wraith? Whatever the case, this creature of Dark simply had too much tolerance for the cold.

The Wraith felt like it was going to explode! It was also miserable. It couldn't be sure it had ever felt so much anguish, though it was not its own…it knew it could probably never understand…and that made it worse. Was there nothing it could give up? Nothing it could sacrifice to change this horrible situation? Surely, all the gems in the world would be worth...

The other Ghost….this was all its fault. Why had it not intervened in a more meaningful way? Things could be worse…but if what had just happened was not theirs to forbid from happening then why were they even here?

The Wrathful Wraith took on last gaze at the chair. Remembering that the other Ghost had said that the Wrathful Wraith could see through the illusions of the grove. And see the truth.

The corpse lying in the chair was Pink, and not white. Fully grown, and not small. And there was nothing else sitting in the chair. There was no Sweetie Bell. Although it knew that was impossible from the start, it was thankful for that, at least.

Lies. Horrible, horrible lies!

In frustration, the Wraith flew off to seek the others.

* * *

><p>Meanie smiled to herself, admiring her work. Actually…she had left a giant mess. But she took pride in it. "When my cute little sweetypants light side accepts me, we'll become one, and I'll be able to do this in the real Ponyville! Eeeee, I can hardly wait!" She clapped her hooves.<p>

Taking a closer look at her work, she noted certain things. "Oh my, I really messed this one up. All the organs are ruined. Hey…what's that?" She said as she reached into a hole in Pinkie's stomach…and pulled out a half-digested cupcake sliver.

The meat was made to be nigh-invisible, finely minced and dyed the same color as the rest of the cupcake. Still, she knew what to look for to notice that ALL the meat, even at the inside of the cupcake was gone, as if it evaporated.

_Hmm…actually, she was right. It does take longer to digest meat. Although…this is no ordinary meat. And so it went before the more digestible cupcake did. Hmm…technically, this should be a bad thing for me, giving her essence back. I might have started to reverse the Encroachment just a little. But…she doesn't have to know that. Besides…maybe I actually can eat a Pinkie-filled Pinkie. Wonder what it tastes like?_

The Baker took a sample of Pinkie's flesh…and ate it. "Hmm..MMMMMMM!…the meat is spectacularly delicious! Oh wow! It's better than before! I'm not sharing any of these cupcakes with your next form, Sweetie! They're all mine. MINE! All for me! AHAHAHAHAHA!"


	17. Omake files 3: OMG This author is INSANE

**The Dark Side**

**Omake files 3**

_*-These are not part of the story. They are non-canon extras._

_Well gang, the computer with Chapter 15 on it can't access the internet presently, so I'm going to be using the laptop that does NOT have Microsoft word to make a little distraction chapter this week. _

_This omake is perhaps the most insane thing I have done to date. It's the closest thing you will (very, very, very, VERY likely) ever see to somebody making a story were CUPCAKES PINKIE PIE of all ponies is made to be the protagonist._

_This should never be attempted ever, ever, ever. For any reason._

_And yet...here I go._

_If I don't come back out alive...remember me how I was._

_(Special apology to my readers. The guys at got this omake before you. This is related to the computer problems that left all my work on chapter 15 out of reach and resulting in me playing around with this idea to tide you all over._

_Again, this isn't part of the story proper, so don't take anything in here too seriously. ...Even though this IS the most serious "filler" I've ever made.)  
><em>

* * *

><p>The door of the great temple before her opened on its own. It was large an heavy. If it shut behind her, there was no way she could force it open. And the bridge was the only way out of this valley surrounded by sheer cliffs. Well...that or the mysterious oceans that were in sight that were NOT on her map and should not have been there. The mountain pass where the bridge began might have been a gateway to another world, after all.<p>

So, this really was her last chance to head back.

That wasn't going to stop the pink pony who was carrying a decorated sword strapped to her body and a heavy load wrapped in cloth on her back, along with saddlebags filled with provisions and other...neccessities.

She also wore a purple jacket that was still oddly comfortable considering its...renovations. It was technically one of those reminders of...days she'd rather forget, but it was moddified to have secret pockets full of knives, caltops, and other sharpened goodies. Considering the very dangerous places she was going, Pinkie thought it would be useful to bring it along. Its not like she could un-skin the pony it came from.

The only problem was it still smelled like alcohol, vomit, tears, and shame.

Dammit, Berry Punch. She thought she finally got rid of that smell.

As she stepped into the darkness, the door did close behind her, and became as part of the wall.

She didn't mind, she was that much closer to completing her mission.

Nine Months earlier...

Pinkie had entered the Darkest Grove, lured by her own shadow. There she had many confrontations with the other Pinkie. But..she couldn't remember the details. There was some kind of final confrontation, wasn't there? Some kind of attack plan that would destroy the doppelganger and disprove all of her lies. It would be an ultimate victory. When Pinkie won, she would be absolved. She would prove that the other was nothing more than a nightmare, an imitation, a sick parody of her. She'd win fair and square and she'd never be bothered by her dark half ever again...

There was a contest like that...wasn't there? Had she just imagined it? Did she just want to believe she was something more than a victim to a seemingly random cycle of death and reanimation until her spirit broke?

It didn't matter.

Whatever happened, she lost.

She lost everything.

The Pinkie who returned to the real Ponyville wasn't the same who had left that morning.

And, so, for months, Pinkie watched horror after horror, trapped with her own body, watching the actions her body did as if her eyes were windows of a prison cell she was locked in.

Meanie Pie hurt so many Ponies...and she kept getting away with it. Sweetie Pie wasn't sure she cared. Or if she even existed to care.

Then, Rainbow Dash was killed.

And then, starting from halfway through sewing Dashie up, the Monster Pinkie had Become felt an incredible pressure in her head. It passed quickly, but she would still get these headaches from time to time.

Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, or some random customer would question her about it from time to time, but Pinkie would just brush them off. Her mane steadily straightened over time.

"It's Rainbow Dash's disappearance, isn't it?" Twilight walked right up and confronted Meanie Pie one day. The butcher was stunned. Twilight continued. "I mean, its Applejack and Apple Bloom's too, but...you really took Rainbow's the hardest. You acted...strange at the funeral, but maybe it was just because you didn't know how to cope. Pinkie! You can't let this destroy you!"

And then Twilight said the stupidest thing in the world.

"It wasn't your fault!"

The words echoed and reverberated around the party pony's soul for days after Twilight uttered them. Pinkie stopped drawing numbers of a while...

Until eventually, one day, she wouldn't wake up.

And then, when they were done crying, her two little filly assistants' differences came to a head.

Apple Bloom was believed to be dead. Died along with Applejack. (Its a long story involving attempted heroic sacrifices, nitro, and a very disappointed Pinkie Pie decidedly NOT getting an Applejack corpse to stuff and mount.) She had been Pinkie's pet project in corruption and mind rape. It had gone more smoothly than Pinkie had originally anticipated once she found Apple Bloom's crippling weak point: She hated bullies. Almost more than she loved life, although Apple Bloom had given up on that after the first week. Pinkie proceeded carefully as she build the little pony back up. She gave Apple Bloom everything she wanted (namely: Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon) and told her she was punishing them. That Equestria would be better without all these bad ponies. She convinced Apple Bloom that what happened in her basement of death was Justice (except for the ponies who had to be silenced because they "Did Not Understand". Those were just unfortunately neccessary causualities. Not that that was ANY excuse to ever stop Smiling.) She kept Apple Bloom's aggression focused outwards, on all the world. Away from Apple Bloom herself, and of course, away from her captor. It was of course, just silly words to Pinkie. But they were Important Silly Words for her to make Apple Bloom her assistant.

But, now that the Boss lady wasn't waking up, Apple Bloom got scared. She couldn't go back to the Apple Family. What would she say? She wasn't the same as she was back then. She had done too many things. She still needed to do more. She figured Pinkie wouldn't want to be discovered, even if she could be cured of her coma. So the only thing left to do was burn down Sugarcube Corner, Pinkie included, and run away from Ponyville entirely. She could start anew and carry on Pinkie's work at some point in the future after scraping by as a Urchin in Manehatten or somewhere.

Scootaloo, on the other hoof, was genuinely doing everything for Pinkie Pie. Pinkie and Apple Bloom were normally very, very careful about how they covered their tracks. But, well, if a tiny little pegasus is infatuated with you and has an obession with sneaking into your house and stealing your things, and has gotten pretty good at it, AND has the most permissive parents in all of Equestria- Well, that requires you to step up your security by an order of magnitude. Even Meanie Pie had to sleep. Scootaloo snuck in just wanting something that had Pinkie's scent...maybe a lock of her hair, or really anything of hers. What she got was a basement full of death. She retreated, but didn't say anything.

Some time later, Sweetie Bell had found Scootaloo's diary, read a very shocking entry, got discovered by Scootaloo...and her messily murdered body was delivered to Sugarcube Corner by Scootaloo herself, desperately looking for help (Scoots was also silently thanking her lucky stars she had the most gullable parents in the universe). She confessed that she had snuck in and escaped undetected several times, and knew a frieghtening number of things about Pinkie that she never told anypony. Pinkie wouldn't have let her leave alive but...Scootaloo said all the right things. Including calling Pinkie "Miss Pinkamena"(Pinkie was positive she had never told any of the Crusaders, not even Apple Bloom, her full name) in the sweetest voice that didn't seem natural coming from a gruff tomboy like her. The kiss might've been a little sudden. Apple Bloom certainly thought so. But, Pinkie took Scootaloo's number out of the drawing, and knew exactly the right things to nurture to turn Scootaloo into a monster like she had done with Apple Bloom.

She may have done her job too well. As now that Pinkie was unconscious and Apple Bloom was talking about burning Miss Pinkamena, Scootaloo was having none of it. She saw Apple Bloom as being disloyal and unreasonable. They could've just closed the store, leaving a note that Pinkie was out of town. Why would Apple Bloom jump straight to betraying her?

If they were mature adults, and not been trained to murder at the drop of a hat, they might've been able to talk this out.

Sadly, they were little monsters.

"BLOOM! HOW DARE YOU BETRAY MISS PINKAMENA, JUST BECAUSE SHE'S SICK! YOU CLEARY NEVER LOVED HER!"

"YA AIN'T GOT NO RIGHT TO SAY THAT ABOUT ME, SCOOTALOO! YER JUST A BRAT WHO NEVER SACRIFICED ANYTHING! YOU'VE NEVER UNDERSTOOD WHAT ME AND PINKIE DID! THIS. IS. LOVE!"

"I KILLED FOR HER, APPLE BLOOM! AND I'LL DO IT AGAIN!"

"YAH WOULDN'T DARE! YER TOO CHICKEN! Scootaloo! Scoot-scootalooooooo!"

"APPLE BLOOM!" Scootaloo snarled at the yellow earth pony as she charged through the air.

"CHICKEN GIIIIRRLL!" Apple Bloom roared as she stood on her hind legs, ready to kick Scootaloo.

The following stats on the two fighters should be noted:

Scootaloo could fly (kind of) and knew things about the house not even Pinkie knew.

However, Apple Bloom was not afraid of setting things on fire.

It was an epic conflict. The commotion could've woken the dead.

But it didn't wake Pinkie Pie.

Because inside her mind, there was another, greater conflict.

* * *

><p>Inside, two violently destructive forces tore and shred at her psyche. She had Sweetie Pie in her Meanie Pie and Meanie Pie in her Sweetie Pie and they were NOT mixing very well.<p>

Still, as the conflict continued, something did rise to dominance. When the dust from the two forces' lastest conflict settled, a single thought was left standing.

And it bridged an otherwise insurmountable gap.

* * *

><p>Sugarcube Corner was a wreck. Burn marks, Kerosene stains, and overturned junk was everywhere.<p>

Scootaloo was out of foam in her fire extinguisher, but it was heavy enough to bash the yellow fily's skull in.

Apple Bloom was out of Kerosene, and the smell of was getting to her, but she could still bluff. Scootaloo wouldn't dare leave Pinkie's side as long as Apple Bloom might set her on fire. She just needed to outlast Scootaloo.

The two fillies stared at each other in silence. The Stalemate had lasted for five torturous minutes thus far.

A single sound tore through the tension like a knife.

"Rainbow...Dash." Pinkie wept in her sleep.

Both Fillies stood in stunned silence. Scootaloo eventually dropped her fire extinquisher and began shaking Pinkie.

"Miss Pinkamena! Miss Pinkamena! Please wake up!"

"Pinkie? Pinkie! Yah have to git up! Ah thought...Ah thought...when yah didn't wake up no matter what we tried..."

Pinkie groaned as she stirred. She clutched her head as she did, as if the act of waking closed the walls together and forced the two personalities in her mind, who had been keeping as far apart from each other as possible, to be squished together and congeal into one.

"What...happened to my room?"

"We're so sorry, Pinkie! We thought we lost you!" Apple Bloom cringed.

"I didn't, Miss Pinkamena! I knew you'd come back! I just knew it! So I protected you from Apple Bloom!"

"Protected me...from Apple Bloom?" Pinkie asked, her head still spinning.

"Ah only did what Ah thought I had too! Please don't lock me in the room, Pinkie!" Apple Bloom begged. She had mounted the bed by this point.

Both fillies had started to cry. Pinkie had mixed feelings. The entity she was now knew they were little monsters that had done things she once again found abhorrent, but ultimately, she knew that it was her responsibility.

She hugged them, joining in the crying herself.

They were her little monsters.

She might try to fix them later...when she had her newfound feelings sorted out.

She wasn't Meanie Pie anymore.

But she wasn't really Sweeite Pie either.

Both those ponies had destroyed each other.

She simply was what was left of both of them. Not all the pieces of the puzzle that were her fit right, but there was one thing that kept her sane.

There was something she had to do No matter how hard it was. No matter that it was taken for granted that it was impossible, but to give up for any reason would leave Pinkie with no option but to lie down in the dirt and die. No matter what happened afterwards. She knew full well that expecting forgiveness would be beyond optimistic, but...

"I need to speak with Dashie." Pinkie thought out loud.

The girls, who had had ample time to calm down, looked at each other worriedly.

Pinkie's stomach growled.

"Girls? Could I get something to eat? No sweets...especially none of ours, please."

Both fillies gasped, completely shocked by this. Scootaloo put a hoof of Pinkie's forehead while Apple Bloom checked her pulse.

Pinkie rolled her eyes. This was going to be a looooong day.

Wait.

"Girls? Is that a...BOWLING BALL...stuck in my ceiling?"

Scootaloo grinned and blushed guilitly. Apple Bloom glowered at the orange pegasus.

* * *

><p>When she was feeling better, and the reality of the situation was sinking in, Pinkie explained to the girls that something had changed inside her, and nothing could be the same again. There was going to be no more harvesting. The girls were to promise never to hurt another pony (especially each other) ever again.<p>

She returned to her quest to find a cure for Death. And one figure in the book "Spirits and Deities of Ages Past" captured her imagination. An entity that was Life, and was Death. Was Female, and was Male. A spirit of perfect duality. And it was sealed away with the power of a certain artifact.

It probably was an old Mare's tale, but when Pinkie found out the artifact in the story was real, and had been rusting in the most secure vault in the catacombs of the Palace in Canterlot, Pinkie knew she had to steal it.

Before she left, Pinkie had told the girls to burn down Sugarcube Corner and go back to their families and *try* to live normal lives (Scootaloo just left crying, but Apple Bloom required some...work. Pinkie worried that she could never do enough to fix Apple Bloom, well either of them, but she did the best she could and gave her a minimalistic but believable sob story that put all the blame on Pinkie. Rape was implied, so hopefully nopony would press Apple Bloom too hard.) She could only hope for the best for them now.

SHE certainly wasn't qualified to raise them.

After a harrowing adventure that entailed an refitting the Candy Chopper so it would carry Rainbow Dash's stuffed carcass and blowing lots of shit up (Pinkie's paragon half said she wasn't entirely okay with that. Her renegade half said she was being naive, unrealistic, and a party pooper.), including the Candy Chopper, sadly (Paragon Pinkie glowered at Renegade Pinkie.), Pinkie had the artifact: a magical sword.

The Sword was stuck in the wreckage of the Candy Copter, but only the scabbard. The sword was easily unseathed, and Pinkie left the scabbbard behind and immediately began strapping Rainbow Dash to her back. Pinkie left the plain-looking scabbard behind, thinking it was unimportant. She had to leave before the royal guard found her. inkie had to travel to the forbidden land on hoof, but as long as she still had the Sword itself, and Rainbow Dash, nothing was going to stop her.

Pinkie lost track of time running for the Forbidden land. Many times, she worried she had gotten the landmarks wrong, that she should've made certain it was in the mountain range she thought it had been in. She wasn't certain when the light reflecting off the sword started to gather into a beam leading her in a certain direction, but when she was lost, it lead her to the land marks faithfully...she eventually learned to put more faith in the sword than in the directions she had worked out beforehoof.

Finally, she arrived.

Standing on top of a sheer cliff overlooking a wide valley, she saw the only safe entry point: a bridge that lead straight into an enourmous temple. It was amazing in its scale, it was impressive it had stayed intact.

Throwing her mind back to her research, Pinkie recalled the myth of the beautiful place she beheld.

* * *

><p>"That place began from the resonance of intersecting points...<p>

They are memories replaced by ens and naught and etched into stone. Blood, young sprouts, sky-

-and the one with the ability to control beings created from light...

In that world, it is said that if one should wish it one can bring back the souls of the dead...

...But to trespass upon that land is strictly forbidden..."

*roll title screen*

Pinkie of the Colossus

* * *

><p>And then she crossed the bridge and now she was trapped in the Shrine of Worship. Not certain what to expect, Pinkie cautiously descended the spiral ramp.<p>

The ramp looped around the interior of the tower, spanning several stories in height. At the bottom floor of the tower, the ramp finally ended, opening up next to the large pool of water at the center of the room. As Pinkie took note of her surroundings, she was blinded by the sudden bloom of the altar room.

The descent had been dark and depressing, now that she was at the bottom, her eyes were treated to multiple sunbeams (or what Pinkie thought were sunbeams, but which came from a hole in the ceiling that seemed to be an actual concentration of bright light localized within the Shrine of Worship.) which reflected off the yellow stone of the floor, as well as the sixteen idols which she noted when her eyes adjusted.

Pinkie Pie thought over what little research she had. She looked around the shrine, taking note of the sixteen idols. They were representations of the various lesser deities that made up the greater entity that was Dormin. And they had been broken and seperated. Supposedly, each part on its own was not fully intelligent. It would represent some force of nature, technically opposed by another branch deity, and in its lack of balance, would mindlessly wonder its home environment. For instance, Malus the Grand Superior, representing vengence, would float in the sky, or sometimes the highest mountain, encircled with stormcloud and throwing fire and lightning with hatred that was simply blind, while the peaceful Phalanx would represent forgiveness, and would soar in peaceful skies, possess the power to call down a storm that could destroy the whole world, but never ever so much as creating a single raindrop in retaliation for any reason. That sounded good, but Phalanx's peaceful aura dissipated all rainclouds around it, and the desert it patrolled would remain a desert.

Instead of being sixteen complete minds merging together as one mass zombie collective where individuality was lost and suppressed, the completed whole WAS the individual, and anything less was not a mind at all. Only when the Dormin was whole could it perceive the world and speak with mortals.

(Pinkie mused that she probably only really got so intensely interested in the story of the Dormin because of how the Duality aspect reminded her of herself. Of...the creature she had become. Although her halves' differences made it almost impossible to function at times, and in that sense they were totally unlike the Dormin. A horrorstruck guilt trip after the fact here, an unexpected last-minute refusal to do things that needed to be done there. Sometimes it wasn't even a moral issue. Sweets for instance made Sweetie Pie sick if she ate them, and left Meanie Pie suffering a crippling depression if she couldn't binge on them.

Theirs was a difficult marriage...)

Pinkie walked past the idols, and removed the body of Rainbow Dash from her back, laying it upon the altar. As she removed the cloth, she cringed. A bone had fractured and tore through the skin, probably from the crash. She had forgotten how badly she had messed up those hooves when she hammered nails into them. Despite the smile that was stiched until Dash's face, the stains from her tears and bandages that covered her flanks and other areas of her body (like her stomach, which was filled back up with Dash's old organs which were themselves held in place by a web of non-toxic, technically harmless string.) brought back memories of screams that while pleasurable for her at that time, now stung Pinkie to her soul.

Well...at least she took the stitches out of Dash's mouth. She still kind of smiled.

Pinkie retrieved Dash's wings and lay them on either side of the body. She also pulled out an assortment of bottles and surgical tools she *hoped* she wouldn't have to use. If something went wrong, most likely with the literal organ stings, she'd have to move fast to put Rainbow under, and Dashie would think she brought her back to life to just hurt her again and she might panic and Pinkie would have nothing to say to keep her from having a heart attack...

Wait.

What was that?

Pinkie dried her eyes with her foreleg and immediately turned around. It was a strange, static-like noise. She looked around and saw, rising from the floor, creatures of pure darkness.

The part of her that was Shadamena knew they weren't shadows. They stood up off the floor, and ambled towards her.

Pinkie drew the sword, which began to flicker with its magical light. Pinkie stood on her hind legs and held the sword's handle between her hooves, pointing the blade towards the creatures. Reacting to the power of the sword, the dark forms dissipated and troubled Pinkie no more. Pinkie waited for a moment, sword at the read before lowering the sword.

And then a voice came from the bright light in the ceiling.

"Hmm? Thou possesses the Ancient Sword? So thou art mortal..."

It was Male. It was Female. It was neither. It echoed with many voices and yet did not make the same sounds as a crowd of ponies would. It was like one entity was speaking.

Pinkie had found it.

"Are you...Dormin?" she asked. "Please, Mr...Mrs... Please, Dormin! You're my only hope! She died because of me, and I cannot find rest until she lives happily again. I need you to heal her and bring back her soul."

The voice laughed, as if finding something ironic. "That maiden's soul? Souls that are once lost cannot be reclaimed... Is that not the law of mortals?"

That wasn't right...was the Dormin trying to say it was impossible to break the seal?

"With that sword, however... it may not be impossible." Dormin spoke.

"That's what I was hoping for. When can we start?" Pinkie asked excitedly.

"That is of course, if thou manage to accomplish what We askest."

"I'll do anything! Anything, anything!" Pinkie shouted up the voice in the sky and generally behaved like a pony who was completely sane.

Spoke the Dormin, "Behold the idols that stand along the wall... Thou art to destroy all of them."

Pinkie had read about those. The idols were supposed to possess the

"But those idols cannot be destroyed by the mere hands of a mortal..."

"Then, what am I supposed to do?"

Spoke the Dormin, "In this land there exist colossi that are the incarnations of those idols. If thou defeat those colossi-the idols shall fall."

The "incarnations of those idols" were supposed to be different parts of Dormin. What then, was Pinkie speaking too?

"I understand. I won't let anything get in my way." Pinkie said this with surprising finality in her voice for a childish little mare.

Spoke the Dormin, "But heed this, the price you pay may be heavy indeed."

Without any hesitation, Pinkie told the Dormin "It doesn't matter." She said this in all seriousness.

This sudden response gave the Dormin pause. It remained silent for a moment, as if evaluating Pinkie Pie carefully.

Finally, it spoke again. "Very well...Raise thy sword by the light... and head to the place where the sword's light gathers... There, thou shalt find the colossi thou art to defeat."

Pinkie, holding the sword in her teeth, rose it to reflect off its blade the "sunlight" that the altar bathed in, and it erupted into a bloom with rays of magical light spread wide. Rays which narrowed as she turned around, facing different directions. The rays formed into a beam that shot over Dash's body and she faced the south.

The light pointed towards some rocky hills. Just gazing upon them made her knees pinch.

Irrelevant Pinkie Sense was irrelevant. Pinkie trotted off, guided by the light of the Sword.

"Yes..." the Dormin thought to themselves once Pinkie Pie had left. "There is no flaw in her determination. This warrior is the best chance to break the spell. After all, she escaped a prison imposed her by own self..."

* * *

><p>After a long, long, climb up a sheer rock wall, Pinkie found herself in some Rocky highlands. Hmm...which aspect of Dormin was related to Highlands?<p>

...

Welp, Pinkie was pretty much positive she couldn't remember.

"What were even their names? Aside from Malus and Phalanx I'm drawing a huge blank? ...Was that because they represented Meanie Pie and Sweetie Pie? No...Malus' random vindictiveness might've fit Shadamena, but I don't really think Pinkie Pie when I see Phalanx. Its more...Fluttershy. Yes, it would actually make sense for Fluttershy's and Shadamena's matches to be in abstract opposition of each other... I don't know which aspect fits Sweetie Pie best.

...Maybe I don't really know that part of myself very well anymore. Its a shame I can't ask the component parts of myself what they think about things. Or can I? hmm..."

...

Something broke Pinkie out of her reverie.

Boom. Boom. Boom.

Something was pounding into the earth, and Pinkie's whole body bounced off the ground with each vibration.

Her tail started twitching. But all Pinkie saw were these two strange columns that were moving ever so slightly, as if adjusting...

Pinkie looked up. Her ears flattened.

"Aw, Horsefeathers."

Against the backdrop of a misty-but-bright sky, Pinkie looked upon an imposing figure.

It was ENOURMOUS. How had Pinkie allowed such a giant, lumbering creature to just sneak up on her? Its body appeared to be made of stone, except for its fuzzy head. It stood on two legs with one arm dangling by one side, and the other arm stretched back, high into the sky, past its bear-like face and shining eyes, holding a club.

And the club came down. And Pinkie screamed.

...

...

...

"OOF!" Pinkie grunted in reaction to the next stimulus to break through the numb, out-of-balance feeling that ominated her senses as she flew threw the air and confirm that she was, in fact, still alive.

Specifically, the pain. She hoped that rib wasn't broken...

Peeling herself off the ground, Pinkie felt blood leaking from the side of her head, and aches in the part of the body she had landed on. Winded and disoriented, Pinkie looked up at where she had been standing, and gaped in horror as the gigantic club lifted from the soil and revealed the scar it left upon the ground.

"Holy Moley, that left a big Holey!" Pinkie exclaimed. By the looks of things, the clumsily-swung club had "missed" her by inches, but Pinkie had still been so close to the impact that she was flung through the air and landed very roughly. And speaking of how the club had landed...

Pinkie gasped. "What is all that doing out there?" Indeed, all the supplies she had not yet taken out of her saddle bags, including all her rations and at least one small electricity generator, were strun about the area where she had flown.

Pinkie frowned at the snaps of her expensive "ultra-secure" saddlebags, and silently vowed to turn that salespony into a cupcake. (Her Paragon half glowered at that. Her Renegade half retorted with "What? It's not like we're going to get out of this alive, so he's laughing all the way to the bank with no promise of actual retaliation one way or the other...") Suddenly, she heard the great hairy biped stomp closer to her. Pinkie realized the monster was raising its club again and she took off, running as far away from the impact as she could move with her wounds...

All her supplies were likely destroyed in that crushing blow. Pinkie just wrote them off.

Pinkie shrieked and retreated back behind some cover to hide from the giant. There, she attempted to recover from the shock. Had the surprise of the large enemy's appearance gotten to her? Was it Her close brush with death? Was it the size of the enemy? Was it just the idea that she let something so big had actually snuck up on her?

Pinkie remembered her head wound as she caught her breath, and cut off one of the "ears" of her hood with a knife she retrieved from her jacket to dress the wound and staunch the flow of blood.

And then, her heart skipped a beat, as she heard the voice of Dormin.

"Hold up thy sword to reflect the light onto the colossus. Its vitals shall be revealed..."

"Dormin? Is that you? Vitals? That stone monster has such things as vitals?"

Drawing the Ancient Sword once more, Pinkie found that there was just enough light to form a beam. The rays gathered closely together when Pinkie pointed the beam towards the giant Bear's head, and as it shone there, a symbol appeared on the Colossus' fuzzy cranium.

Speaking of fuzzy material, Pinkie just noticed that on the back of the Colossus' foot, was a patch of hair that was not present on the stony surface of the other leg. The sword also reacted to...something in this segment of the body.

Did that mean, this stone creature had flesh? And was covered in fur where the flesh was? If so, then...

Pinkie's eyes shrank into pinpoints as her iris dilated. She checked her pockets again. Yes! Yes! She had enough knives! She had more than enough knives! She didn't need any of her other supplies that had just been pulverized into the dirt, for she was positively loaded down with sharp objects.

And nothing was safe from her. NOTHING. Her itchy back told her so.

Pumping all the adrenaline she could muster, Pinkie Pie screamed and charged forward! Running as fast as she could manage, Pinkie felt the club come crashing down behind her, but the tremors didn't throw her off balance, it was far behind her.

She ran between the legs of the giant, skidded to a halt, and drew no less than FOUR knives, each one in a different hoof. Holding on to all her weapons, Then she jumped upon the fur-covered heel of the Colossus, and inserted her blades into it's flesh while biting onto its hair! The beast roared, but Pinkie didn't stop, drawing one more knife with her left hind hoof, and then she began to climb up the monster's leg, towards the back of its knee, leaving squirts of unnaturally blood that resembled pressurized oil as it escaped from the wounds she made as she climbed, but dissipated into clouds of mist. Pinkie cut into the beast over and over again, but it didn't seem to have felt anything. Until she found something very peculiar.

The head had left some kind of gigantic rune when she shined the sword's light on it. This thing that she found didn't look like a rune. It was like a line...no, a scar...no...a breech of some kind. It was glowing green, and smoking out clouds of black blood. It was almost like...

"An open wound!" Pinkie gasped. She didn't understand much about these creatures, but her expertise told her that was exactly what this was. Pinkie grabbed her sharpest knife (and mind you, they were all sharpened to perfection. Who do you think we're dealing with, here?) and thrust it into the wound with all of her might.

With a mighty roar, Valus fell to its knee, and slammed its fist into the ground for balance!

With the Colossus's stomping halted, and its back within jumping distance, Pinkie leapt up and bit unto a patch of Valus's hair before the monster righted itself. It had recovered from the pain in a frighteningly short period of time.

Pinkie, however, was holding on to the side of the behemoth's rocky "club sheath" (at least, she thought it was a sheath.) Unlike sheer cliffs, ponies could still hold on to the edge at the top of a cliff. Much like Twilight had done before Applejack grabbed her and tried to pull her up at the Summer Sun celebration. Pinkie was tired, but she managed to spring herself upwards, leaping towards the top of the Colossus. On relatively level ground again, she stood, but held onto her knives.

She attempted to rest, but she was knocked around by the bear's uneven gait. Falling over, Pinkie found herself rolling around

The glyph on the monster's head was in sight. Pinkie righted herself and sat up. She drew the sword and held it between her hooves.

Pinkie could not "walk" on her hind legs very well, least of all on a wiggly Colossus. But she didn't need to.

Holding the sword in two hooves, Pinkie leapt into air, pointing the blade down and curling up her hind legs so that the first thing that hit the surface of the creature (aside from her tail) would be the tip of her blade.

With a sound that was both satisfying and nauseating at the same time to her, the sword was buried deep into the monster's head.

A geyser of Black Blood erupted out of the glyph, and Valus roared in pain. But despite a blow that had to have gone all the way to the brain, the monster lived. Immediately, it kicked its head back, and Pinkie had to hold on to the sword for dear life!

Pinkie was shaken, knocked around, almost thrown off to the ground far below when sudden rearing back of the head gave Pinkie Pie vertigo, but she managed to hold on...

...until Valus' head snapped back forward and she was thrown off. She nearly fell off the Colossus, but managed to catch the sword on the surface of the Monster's mask.

As Pinkie Pie clung on for dear life, the sword was still in her hooves at the top of the cliff. So, that wasn't why her heart almost stopped.

Oh no, that was because she was looking straight into the Colossus' ruthless fiery eye!

She stood there, all sense of time lost, as if that moment lasted forever. She had realized what she had to do in this situation, but she was having one of her moments.

But unlike a certain time during her escape from Canterlot, where Sweetie Pie prevented her from killing a witness, this time it was a hang up on Meanie Pie's side.

What was going on?

"Dual Pie" desperatedly tried to pull her two personalities apart just enoughso they could talk...

* * *

><p>"Meanie Pie! What's wrong? Do the Scary eye thing!"<p>

"...The Scary eye thing? I think the pony you're looking for is Fluttershy. I can't do the stare."

"W-what are you talking about? Of course you can! You can do a Super Stare! Its the scariest thing in the world! This stupid fiery eye is as nothing to it! Just do what you do when you corner ponies!"

"I can't...We're the ones who are cornered! Ow! The edge of this giant mask is kind of digging into our fetlocks..."

"Come on, did you lose all your scariness just because you switched sides? Because I really hate that Trope!"

"I don't have the killer instinct to match this monster anymore."

"Do it for Dashie!"

"I killed Dashie...it makes me feel tired..."

"Then take responsibility, you monster!"

"I can't wrap my head around it...bringing her back to life...I should but I can't, I can't get motivated right, if I know she's dead. Just dead. Like us in a few minutes..."

"Okay...well, then imagine she's still alive, but this Colossus is going to eat her!"

* * *

><p>Pinkie opened her eyes and stared back into the fiery abyss.<p>

For a moment, the colossus seemed to pause...but then it went back to its vertigo-inducing fidgeting, nearly knocking Pinkie off.

...she quickly shut them again.

* * *

><p>"Gah! Its not working! Ponies being eaten is exactly why I feel like I can't beat this thing! It's me, but...better."<p>

"No its not! You're definitely scarier! Get angrier!"

"I can't...everything is my fault..."

"Grrrggg! Who knew you could be so emo! Okay, how about...you confess your love for Rainbow Dash, she totally forgives you, and everything can go back to the way it was...but she's already engaged to be Married with this giant Bear?"

"If she's happy with him...who am I of all poines to refuse her?"

"Oh! But that's just it! She doesn't love him! He doesn't even love her! Rainbow is part of some kind of wealthy family, and he's blackmailing her to go through with it! Even though she admits really loves you!"

"Loves me...?"

"And he's going to take her far away and you'll never see her again! And every night...And every night..."

"Every night...?"

"Yes, and most importantly of all..." Sweetie Pie actually gulped as she thought about what she was about to say.

"...yes?"

"...There are no witnesses right now."

* * *

><p>Pinkie opened her eyes once more, looking as in bewilderment into the face of the monster.<p>

...

Then, a certain instinct kicked in and Pinkie stared back with her evillest gaze.

Valus felt it. The cold. The terrible, terrible fear. The firery orange in his eyes started to dim.

"Hi. I'm Pinkie Pie. They know me as the cutest, pinkest, all around best pony. pony." She wasn't singing, she was just speaking in a silky voice to the monster. "Destroy of Worlds, Betrayer of Gods, My life is a party. party."

Pinkie's eyes dilated giving the Colossus a big, round, inkie black void of death to look into. In the Colossus' own mind, Pinkie's eyes changed to the fiery color of his own. Had he...done something wrong? Brought about the anger of another god and brought forth her arami-tama?

The Colossus stopped moving. Its eyes turned to a placid green. It looked more like the fiery orange at simply froze, incased in green ice.

"I'm going be..."

The Colossus noticed suddenly that Pinkie had brought the sword she was holding onto down and leveled the tip right at the eye. It gave Valus a sense of vertigo.

"The last thing you're ever going to see."

* * *

><p>"Wait! We need to release them through the Glyphs-"<p>

* * *

><p>"FUCK THE GLYPHS!" Meanie Pie screamed. Her words echoed across the Forbidden land.<p>

Valus had never felt this feeling before. What WAS this thing? She had taken on arami-eyes. But it knew in its bones what must be done. This little creature was dangerous. He didn't just need to escape, she needed to die! He needed to finish her-

**THUNK.**

And Valus roared, raising its head to the heavens, as a Geyser of Black Blood covered Pinkie Pie as she desperately tried to hold on. And then Valus fell in such a dramatic fashion as it appeared to be in slow motion.

Pinkie opened her eyes, and surveyed the damage.

The Glyph was still reacting to the sword, but it seemed to have grown dimmer since she saw it last.

Suddenly, Valus moved...and looked up. The sword was still stuck in its ruined eye.

with a roar, Valus tried to look at Pinkie with its good eye.

Pinkie stepped back, a little shocked at what she had done. Her hoof touched something.

It was...her generator! It had survived...and it still had its copper wires wrapped around.

She hadn't brought it to use it for her..old purposes. She looked up at the Colossus, it seemed to have been paralyzed in some manner from the truamatic blow. Hmm...Now that she thought about it, what she HAD planned to use it for had already been destroyed because SOMEBODY was a big mean meaniepants.

Pinkie grinned. There was no sense in letting it go to waste. This was going to be so. Awesome.

"Still alive, huh? Good! That means we can play some more! You'll pay for destroying all my stuff..."

She grabbed the generator and bounced over to the eye, and brought a copper wire close to the sword...

...

...

...

Pinkie froze. Unbeknowst to her, her eyes glowed green for but a moment.

"...EEEUUUGGGGHHH!" Pinkie gave a frustrated cry, and threw the generator aside.

It was another one of her moments.

It didn't last long.

"Sorry, this will hurt for just a little while longer..." Pinkie said in a soothing voice before she tore the sword out of the Colossus' eye. Valus roared!

SPLORCH!

Atop Valus' head, Pinkie was bathed in another geyser of Presurized Black Blood.

Valus's head fell. Pinkie let herself fall with it, letting gravity help her pull out the sword.

Valus, the Walking Bear, Lord of the Highlands and Manifestation of Brutishness, was no more.

* * *

><p>The Dormin marvelled at their champion. Perhaps she fit better than they had first thought.<p>

Shame. Had she gone through with her plan, the electricity being used through the sword probably would have released the essence just as well. Combined with the Head of the Colossus simply ripping open and releasing the geyser of blood, which itself would have been electrified...

The Dormin reasoned it would have been the greatest Light Show in the history of giant monster slaying.

* * *

><p>Two figures approached the wreckage of the cycle-copter.<p>

After hours of searching, they had found it.

They searched it for any clues of Pinie's whereabouts.

One of them noticed the scabbard, and showed to her partner.

The partner found an inscription. And read it aloud.

"The two must be as one, less the seal weaken. Should they ever be seperated, speak the word, and Return."

The one who found the scabbard was puzzled. "Now what tha hay does -"

And suddenly, both disappeared.

Despite nothing further of importance to say at this location, the author decided to linger here just to torture the reader by wasting some more time for no real reason.

...

...

...Take that.

* * *

><p>A Pink Pony plopped on the ground. She took a moment and said "ow." As the green eyes returned to blue, she started giggling childishly.<p>

"I swear, everypony is going to think I have Bipolar disorder..." Pinkie giggled. She wasn't sure why she was laughing...it probably had something to do with the near-death experiences that colmenated in that giant looking up at her.

A giant looking up at her.

Both halves still had issues with each other...but...they had to admit this was absolutely wonderful.

For the first time in a long time, Happiness and Excitement pulsed through out all of Pinkie's being. She had taken her first step towards saving Dashie.

"hee hee hee...hee hee! AHAAHHA! WHOO! WOOOOOHOOO! GO, PINKIE, GO! THAT WAS AWESOME! LOOK WHAT I DID! ME! PINKIE PIE!"

Pinkie laughed some more.

"THIS IS THE BEST MOMENT OF MY LIFE! I'VE NEVER FELT SO ALI-"

Pinkie Pie didn't even have time to react.

They cut into her. Whatever they were...they cut upon and slithering into to her, friction burning all the insides of her body. She couldn't even scream...

As her body was contorted, she saw the sky. Out of the Colossus rose several black spirals that had stretched several feet into the air, and arched towards her, now that they had caught her, they weren't going to stop until their entire lengths had gone through her. Fortunately, there was an end to them, as their tails seperated from the colossus.

Was this...some kind of last resort attack? Pinkie felt like she was dying...

Finally, they stopped, and with a gasp, Pinkie fell to the ground, black mist escaping from her eyes and mouth.

As Pinkie's vision faded, she thought she saw a dark tunnel with a bright opening, and innumberable lights passing her by...

"Pinkie Pie..." whispered a voice in the void.

"Da...shie?" Pinkie pondered out loud in a sleepy voice before the light enveloped her.

And then she saw no more.

* * *

><p>(To be Continued?)<p>

Post-production edit: Oh my god...I never expected this thing to blow up like it did. I originally wanted to do something like a montage filed with gags and speed it up to the ending.

Which I might still do for the second part of this little side-story if I ever continue it.

But yeah...Holy Epic Backstory, Batman! I had decided to stop it after only one Colossus.

I think I will make another Omake continuing this story.


	18. Chapter 15: Everyone is sad except Sunny

**The Dark Side**

_A MLP:FIM fanfiction by Lord Xaos_

_Chapter 15_

Giggling. Lots of giggling. It was infectious.

"Hey, Pinkie?" Rainbow Dash laughed. "Can I take the blindfold off now?"

"No, no, no, no, Dashie! You can't peek yet! You'll ruin the surprise!" Pinkie giggled as she continued to lead Rainbow Dash forward.

"Alright, but Pinkie…where ARE we going? This feels like we just stepped into a circus tent of some sort…"

"Circus tent? Don't' be silly. You'll know when we get there."

"You better not be leading into a prank. You're making me nervous, like I'm going to be surrounded by an audience expecting me to tame lions or something…."

"Aw, don't be scared, Dashie. I wouldn't ever do something like that to you!" Pinkie said, the amount of glee in her voice not falter.

"All right…" Dash said. Then she paused for a moment. "…so what _are_ you going to do to me?"

"Oh stop it." Pinkie giggled. "Now, I want you to wait here for just a second, Dashie. I'll tell you when. And no peeking!"

"Aw come on….I've been wearing this thing for wait feels like hours! I'm starting to worry that my eyes won't even open anymore if I keep them closed any longer!"

"…."

"Pinkie? What's wrong?" Rainbow asked. "Oh, I guess she already left."

And Dash waited. And waited. And she waited some more.

She didn't know where she was or what was around her. It was unnerving.

"Pinkie? Can I take it off now? Are you done yet?" Rainbow asked nervously.

More silence.

Finally, Rainbow thought "Buck this" and took off the blindfold. She immediately took stock of her surroundings.

Rainbow Dash couldn't see the sky. That always put her on edge. But, there was a faint bloom of light creeping under the giant curtain that covered the…."room"…she was in, and she could see she had at least some room to fly around in.

And yet, no sign of Pinkie Pie or where she had left through…but then, Rainbow's eyes were still recovering from being blindfolded for so long.

"Pinkie? Where is this place? Why is it so dark? Where ARE you?"

The light also betrayed the bars that rose from the floor, close enough together that she couldn't squeeze through. The bars went up until the light grew too weak, and she couldn't see them anymore. But Rainbow wanted to be sure, so she flew up into that darkness, taking note of the wooden platform large enough for any pegasus to sit on, on her way up. She flew all the way to the top.

Yes…. She was trapped.

Trapped in a giant cage of some kind, to be exact. Rainbow looked around the floor, searching for the door to the cage. Now that her eyes had taken a few moments to adjust, she found it easily, and tried opening it discreetly. It was locked.

"Pinkie! Where are you? This isn't funny! Pinkie or somepony…anypony! Please help! I can't get out!"

Then, her call was answered.

Rainbow's heart almost exploded out of her chest. She didn't hide her horrified scream. The Eye had already seen her.

A large, snake-like eye with baby blue coloration had peeked through a slit in the curtain and seen Rainbow Dash! With a childish giggle, the curtain was thrown off, and Rainbow Dash was blinded by the sudden change in lighting!

Still, she flew. All around her prison, desperate to get away from the dragon's gaze. Rainbow Dash didn't take a good look at the monster's exact form. It's blue eyes seemed to be set against a completely shadowy body. They traced her relentlessly. Rainbow had the impression that if she split into two pegasi, the eyes would have done Ditzy Doo's thing and a different eye would have followed one of her two trails of movement still, not even pausing for a second.

She eventually crashed into the perch in the center of the giant birdcage, where she curled into a fetal position and looked on with horror.

And then, it spoke in a familiar voice.

"Hee hee! Awwww…tweet, tweet, tweet my little Dashie!" An enormous Pinkie Pie looked down on Rainbow, grinning from ear to ear.

"P-pinkie? Why are you so big?" Rainbow Dash managed to ask. "Why am I in this cage?"

"Aw, Dashie…do I really have to explain it to you? You're going to be my songbird! Hee hee hee!"

Rainbow Dash's eyes widened. "Pinkie, please! Don't tease me! This is going too far!"

Pinkie giggled uncontrollably. "Hey, are you going to tweet for me, like a good birdie, or am I going to have to bake you into a pie?"

"Pinkie! Stop it, I'm scared! I never admit that to anypony, but I admit it now! I'm scared! You got me, Pinkie, okay? G-get Twilight to reverse this spell you had her cast on me and-"

"Aww….and here I thought you were tough." Pinkie suddenly interrupted Rainbow. "Still, I'm afraid this isn't a prank." The party pony lowered her head. Her face took up all the space that Dash could see from her vantage point. And she whispered "Welcome to my cave, Dashie, raaaarrrr!"

Rainbow was too scared to say anything. She opened her mouth while shaking, but no words came out.

"What'd you say? Oh! Are you trying to sing for me, my little birdie?"

Rainbow managed an "I-I….", but it was much too soft for anypony, even the cyan pegasus who spoke it, to hear.

"Didn't quite catch that. Are you sure you're really Dashie? I didn't catch Fluttershy by mistake, did I?"

Rainbow felt humiliated and frightened at the same time. She wasn't acting herself and she knew it, but….it was all she could do to keep breathing as her blood froze and her heart pounded in her chest.

"I am not y….." Rainbow's voice trailed off. It was hard to say that much, like the next syllable might cause Rainbow's heart to explode.

"Yesssss?" Pinkie put her ear close to the bars of the cage. She let out a small (read: pegasus sized) plume of flame. "What'd you say, birdie?" the giant pony flapped her leathery wings once. ….Did she always have those? Rainbow honestly couldn't remember details like that from the last few minutes of her life.

"Tweet." Rainbow squeaked.

"Aww….that's a good songbird." Pinkie smiled.

Rainbow dared to start to relax. Okay…this was still a horrible, horrible situation. But maybe if she just did whatever the giant Pinkie-dragon wanted for now she could survive long enough to try to escape later…

"But I've already got the pie started."

Rainbow blinked. What the heck is she talking about?

With lightning speed, Pinkie tore open the door of the bird cage and reached inside for Dash. Screaming, the pegasus took off and flew around the cage.

She didn't get very far. Sometime was pulling her away from the ceiling of the cage.

Pinkie had her tail.

Rainbow struggled, but Pinkie bit her mane in her unusually carnivorous teeth. Rainbow cringed, held firmly in the monstrous ponies' mouth, but unharmed. Pinkie bounded over to a kitchen counter. Rainbow kicked and flapped her wings, and demanded to be put down. It was there that Rainbow Dash saw it.

The _Pie._

It was filled with dozens of other pegasi, all of them wrapped had their wings bound in what looked like a thick ring of uncooked dough, and their legs bound together with some kind (presumably edible) adhesive.

Standing on her hind legs again, Pinkie retrieved the struggling pegasus with her hoof, and held her down while her other hoof retrieved some dough.

"Pinkie, stop! We're friends! Why would you do this to mmmph mmmMMmmm mmmph!" Rainbow's mouth was covered with a small mask of pie crust dough. Rainbow's nostrils were not restrained, so she could still breath through her nose. Pinkie just winked at Rainbow and proceeded to do the rest of the binding. Rainbow, now rendered speechless, just tried to lock eyes with Pinkie and give her the most pitiful pleading look she could manage. It probably helped that she was already starting to cry and was trying to understand how any of this could be happening.

"Aww….its okay Dashie. It will all be over in 30-35 minutes. Or until the crust is golden brown." Pinkie laughed cruelly. She then took the tied up Rainbow Dash, the pegasus' hooves covered in some kind of sticky, sickeningly sweet-smelling substance, and dropped her in the middle of a pile with the rest of the pegasi.

It was horrible. Rainbow felt ponies squirming all around her, desperately trying to escape…some down below trying just to breath. Above, Pinkie was looking at them all hungrily.

"This is going to be…the. Best. Dessert. Ever." Pinkie licked her lips. "Now I just need to decide on a topping." She looked thoughtful, then pulled out two jars of some kind of condiments. "Hey….does anypony have a preference? Would you rather be scalded alive with dragon-heated strawberry or blueberry-flavored syrup?"

The voices of the damned screamed their protests through their doughy masks, Rainbow just sobbed.

Pinkie rolled her eyes playfully. "Oh right, I guess you all aren't really abl-"

"Blueberry!" a voice interrupted her.

Every single pony in the pie (and the dragon-pony who wasn't) stared at the gray-coated speaker. She was still restrained, but her mask had fallen off. When she opened her mis-matched eyes, she took in her surrounding in half the time a normal pony would've required.

Ditzy Doo seemed to catch on that the crowd was frowning at her. "Um, I mean….strawberry?" She asked tentatively.

_Right. Thank you, Ditzy Doo. I'd HATE for our last few moments of life to be tainted by even a small speck of dignity. Thanks for taking care of that for us, ya featherbrain._

"Actually…I just had a wonderful idea!" Pinkie grabbed Rainbow Dash again and held her above the pile of doomed ponies for all to behold. "In honor of my wonderful, dear, bestest best friend Rainbow Dash, how about I use both flavors in succession! Maybe I'll add some honey! With all the primary colors, it'll be a bright and colorful rainbow! Beautiful!" Pinkie's eyes rolled into the back of her head as she said that last word, giving everypony further reassurance of her madness.

"Thanks for giving me the idea, Dashie." Dragon Pie rose Dash to her face, and kissed her before dropping her back into the pie.

Pinkie didn't waste any time. She poured some syrup (and honey) into three different pans, and then she breathed a giant flame and heated them in the blink of an eye. The pegasi could hear the bubbling, even though the pot was out of their view.

Pinkie returned to the pie, a pan containing the first of the three waves of boiling condiments in her hoof. A gleam in her eye.

"Any last requests?" Pinkie asked.

"Well…"

"Besides Ditzy Doo." Pinkie interrupted.

"Awwww…." Ditzy pouted.

After a moment of silence (read: muffled protesting and crying), Pinkie said "Aww….you're all shivering. Don't worry. I'll warm you all up right now."

_This can't be happening…it just can't be…I don't want to look, but I can't tear myself away…oh my gosh!_

"How dare you….." a familiar yellow pegasus stood above the tangle of bound ponies.

_Is that Fluttershy!_

"How DARE you!" Fluttershy took off and flew right up to Dragon Pie's face. "Listen here, Missy! Just because you're big, doesn't mean you get to do whatever you want! I don't know what's gotten into you, Pinkie, but this is NOT how you play nice with your friends!"

Dragon Pie looked up, astounded by Fluttershy's sudden appearance. She had lowered the pan just a hair. This had the unfortunate effect of almost spilling its strawberry contents onto the pile of kidnapped ponies.

And then Fluttershy slapped (well, bucked), Pinkie's hoof and send the pan flying away to Pinkie's left. "NO! That's dangerous! You could've burned somepony!"

Pinkie looked back at the tiny Pegasus hovering in front of her. "I just…wanted others to feel my pain."

"You know you've never been burned alive. There are plenty of outlets for whatever is bothering you! You know all the ponies in Ponyville, more ponies than I could ever hope to get to know, you throw parties for! And you're telling me you never thought to just talk about it with your friends? Pinkie! This isn't like you at all! Explain yourself right now, young lady!"

"But I thought you all didn't like my parties and didn't want to be my friends anymore!"

"That's not true! You always still had Twilight, Rarity, Spike, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash! And the Crusaders! And you definitely had me. But right now, you're not behaving like the Pinkie Pie I know and love! You're hurting the ponies that care for you the most!"

"But, I …" Pinkie started to speak again.

"Don't you 'but, I' me, Missy! Now, what do you have to say for yourself?" Fluttershy crossed her forelegs.

Pinkie's lower lip quivered and she suddenly broke down crying.

"There, there, Pinkie…you just made a mistake. If you just let everypony go, everything will be okay." Fluttershy continued to try and coax

_She's…She's going to do it! It's another miracle! Fluttershy is going to save us all! Just like last ti-_

The appalled voices of the muffled ponies (including a gasp from Ditzy Doo) were her first sign that something had changed.

Rainbow looked up….and saw Pinkie was holding a knife, stained with blood.

_Fluttershy's_ blood.

She had cut the little pony from groin to neck in a single, fluid motion.

Fluttershy fell unto the pile, motionless.

Rainbow Dash could only look in horror. She was completely paralyzed.

Pinkie grabbed another pan and smiled. She tilted the pan forward slowly….

"Wait!" Ditzy suddenly spoke up.

Everypony fell silent again.

"What about the red for your rainbow?" the blond pegasus asked. "You spilled the strawberry syrup."

"…." Pinkie grabbed Fluttershy's bleeding corpse and smiled, saying "hmm-hmm!"

"Oh."

With no further questions, Pinkie resumed operations. Some molten gold dripped from her pan. It hit some other ponies, who elicited agonized screams.

Pinkie tilted it forward slowly…dripping more onto other ponies. Rainbow Dash cringed, but none of the sauce seemed to be landing on her.

And then, Pinkie tilted the pan all the way, and there was boiling honey everywhere...Rainbow was burning…drowning….melting!

The sickeningly sweet smell was everywhere….and it was mixed with the smell of blood….

* * *

><p>Rainbow screamed and screamed until she fell off the surface she was sleeping on. Shooting straight up, Rainbow started to calm down when she realized she wasn't being smothered in boiling honey.<p>

Still….her head was fuzzy. She looked around, and took hold of her surroundings.

She was in her cloud house. Outside her window, she saw the sun was starting to dip past the mountains outside Ponyville.

Rainbow blinked. It was this late in the day? She felt like there was something she needed to remember something….wait…

"Wait. Something doesn't add up…ow." Rainbow winced.

Rainbow just realized, her whole body felt sore. She had tensed up terribly.

"Then again, a good soak sounds pretty good right about now."

Within moments (which would strike anyone who knew all the work that went into condensing the hot water for a bath in a cloud house as a strangely short period of time if they were in their right mind) Rainbow was relaxing in a warm bath. She really should take these more often.

As Rainbow wiped the side of her face, she felt some not unlike a bite from a small animal.

"Ow!" Rainbow held the cloth in her face, and saw that it was bloodstained. Inside was a small, black, something-or-other. "Ow…was that a scab? What happened where I would have been….?"

The bathwater had turned red.

Rainbow's eyes widened in horror.

She looked at her body, as if for the first time.

Stitches. Stitches all over her stomach.

Her fetlocks had bolts through them. She place a hoof on the bolt.

She could feel her pulse _through the metal._

Rainbow tried to fly out of the tub to get a look at the mirror, but realized with a thrill of horror, that her wings were gone!

Her Cutie marks were stitched on.

She remembered. The other Pinkie.

Did that monster harvest her organs, but put her make together again? That didn't make sense! Why would Rainbow forget that? Why would the monster Pinkie do that? To do it all again later? But surgery doesn't work like that! What's going on?

Breathing heavily, Rainbow Dash realized she wasn't alone in the tub.

It was another Rainbow Dash. This one was whole.

"Horrible, isn't it?" the other pegasus spoke "You're the only one who can stop her, Rainbow Dash. I'm sorry you had to be a part of this. Gaze into the mirror over there, and see the truth. See the future that awaits you if you keep attempting to 'save' Pinkie Pie."

Rainbow turned her head, which itself felt like it had been stitched together, and she looked into the mirror.

She had no face. It had been skinned off, revealing the muscle and bone underneath!

Rainbow screamed. And the pony corpse she saw in the mirror screamed back at her.

The other Rainbow throttled her.

"Stay with me! Don't go yet! You have to promise me you'll never let your guard drop! She won't rest until you're dead! She let you go so she can hunt you down again! Nopony will come to your rescue! You have to stop her!"

"StOp…" Rainbow spoke in a distorted voice. "PiNkIe PiE?"

"Yes. End her. Don't follow in my naiveté. And another thing! This is very important: You cannot trust either Pinkie Pie. When you find her, you must kill her too." The other Rainbow stared icily into Dash.

"bUt…CaMe To SaVe HeR. mY fRiEnD…"

"Is gone! If she ever existed in the first place! I thought I was mistaken. And…" the other Rainbow's voice started to distort as wounds opened all over her body and she started to bleed. "lOoK…aT…mE…nOw…"

And then the other Rainbow Dash _exploded_ into a downpour of rainbow-icing cupcakes.

One cupcake splattered in Dash's eye. She couldn't stop it. She didn't have eyelids.

Rainbow screamed in disgust and anguish...

* * *

><p>Rainbow woke with a start. Again.<p>

She was in her cloud house. Again.

Her muscles were stiff. Again.

Rainbow rubbed a hoof over her entire body. "My wings….my cutie marks! Oh Celestia….I'm whole!" She cradled her self and cried.

Then she found something.

Stitches. Off to the side of her stomach. It was off and away from most of her vital organs. She hadn't noticed them before.

Rainbow instantly kicked herself to make sure this wasn't another horrible dream!

It wasn't.

The stitches must have been holding together a very tiny cut. But…Rainbow felt hollow in that area of her body.

"What did she take?…WHAT DID SHE _**TAKE**_**?**"

* * *

><p>The Wrathful Wraith exited the Darkest Grove, and found the spirit that was tethering the four to the outside world.<p>

The Striped Ghost.

The Wraith approached the Ghost.

The Striped Ghost spoke "I wanted you to find one of the four and watch them, one hour is all I ask. What could call you always from your important task?"

The Wraith made its demand.

"We are going into the Grove to rescue them ourselves. In the Flesh. All four of us. Now." The Wraith commanded, its voice almost becoming a screech when it said the word "Now."

"Did you not hear me before?" the Striped Ghost inquired. "I cannot allow the entry of any magic or alchemical lo-"

"Unacceptable." The Wraith interrupted. "ABSOLUTELY unacceptable."

"If things are going bad, we may send in Applejack and Fluttershy, but I'm afraid that in any situation that you can allow yourself to do so, you MUST stand b-" The Striped Ghost attempted to rhyme once again.

"You never explained why." The Wraith interrupted again. "I'm terribly, awfully, _DREADFULLY_ sorry, but you. _Never. Explained. Why_."

"The reason I'm not ready to explain at this time, You're uncouth interruptions are making it very hard for me to rhy-" The Striped Ghost

"THEN STOP RHYMING! AND START EXPLAINING! AFTER WHAT PINKIE PIE JUST WENT THROUGH, I NEED TO HERE THE REASON WE AREN'T STOPPING IT!" the Wraith howled, its voice once again very nearly becoming a screech.

"FINE!" Zecora screamed back.

Less than a second passed before Zecora continued speaking, but Rarity's eye twitched as she noted that 'fine' technically rhymes with 'time'.

"Because shadows with magic can break you even faster! Not just you, but everyone else in the Grove!" Zecora huffed. "There be something that will happen, and there is no action you can take that does not end in tragedy. It might hurt less, if you already were a murderer who does not feel guilt."

"W-what?" Rarity gasped.

* * *

><p>The previous year….<p>

(Once again, any and all rhyming has been lost in translation)

"_They loved you, Zecora." Shadora sneered, speaking in their native language. "It might have been based on a lie, but it wasn't a trick. They really, really loved you. And you threw them away. With even more heartlessness than I sacrificed my own minions with. You're right. You aren't like me. You're WORSE!"_

_The evil enchantress's words stung Zecora to her soul. She was right._

"_Oh sure, they might've been fated to die as soon as you left the Grove anyway, but you really treated them like rhino dung. Like they didn't really exist."_

_Zecora stifled a sob. She thought…that they didn't really exist. That they weren't real. They were just supposed to be "Reflections", mindless illusions she had read about…they imitated her family and immediately offered to fight for her and said contradictory things. They had been an insult, and Zecora expected them to turn on her at any moment. They even kept coming back whenever she died, so of course they weren't dead._

_But…did she just make more? Every time?_

_Shadora spoke once more. "I even gave you a chance to be with Amoke. And you killed her. I gave you another one. You killed her too…you killed her, and killed her, and ki-"_

"_SHUT UP! JUST SHUT UP!" Zecora screamed before a gag was forced into her mouth by one of the tigers._

_Shadora stepped onto the altar where Zecora was bound. "Time to die once more, Zecora. Oh, and don't feel bad. You'll be able to see you-know-who again and tell her you're sorry for being such a bad sister. Only, of course, it will be a brand new Amoke, and she won't be able to remember it at all. How many Amokes does this make, I wonder?"_

_Zecora struggled desperately. If she died now, the nightmare really would start again…_

"_Goodbye, Zecora."_

_**SQUICK.**_

…

…

…

_Wake up. Zecora thought._

_Wake up wake up wake up WAKE UP!_

_Zecora's eyes shot open. She was back in the village. No one else was around._

_She ran away. Desperate to find an exit to the grove before they came back…_

_Before even more blood was on her hooves._

* * *

><p>"The real reason I can't enter the grove is because I have already defeated my Dark Side. I entered of my own free will, believing I knew everything about the Grove. But the Grove has ways of using your knowledge against you. Your Shadow has lived the same life you have and taken away very different lessons from the experiences."<p>

"What happened when you entered the Grove?" Rarity asked. "And what does your experience have to do with unicorns? I mean, its not like me or Twilight have been in her before…"

"That is a long, tragic story. But perhaps I should tell you about my foray."

"Back to rhyming?"

"Ah, Must have slipped my mind."

"Excuse me again, Zecora, and please don't take this the wrong way, but…why do you rhyme?"

Zecora smiled. "If I had to guess, I'd say it is a curse of my kind."

"You mean…the Zebras?"

"No. Students of the Medicine Mare Zelunjo." Zecora corrected. "All her instructions were in rhyme, and so was her everyday conversation. We have all learned to speak like her, too."

"Fascinating. In either case, why can't we enter the Grove? After all, what I just saw Pinkie Pie go through…Oh, Zecora! Her Dark Side was cutting her and playing mind games, and making her think she wasn't real and was actually Sweetie Bell! Both of them are friends to all of us! Why can't all four of us enter together?" Rarity cried.

"To prevent the release of a Dark Side that had magic to invoke. I understand your desire to help, but I cannot allow there to ever be…another Amoke"

* * *

><p>Zecora lived with her family in her humble Zebrican town. Along with her mother, father, and for a while her drunken uncle (don't ask, that's a sad story in of itself), there was also Zecora's little sister, Amoke.<p>

Amoke had a frail constitution, and she was often sick. Still, Zecora and her family did everything they could for her. It got bad at times, but Amoke was the sweetest girl you could know. And she always pulled through with the love and support of her family, especially her loving older sister.

Then, tragedy struck. Amoke was infected with a terminal illness. The local doctors said they did everything they could, but Amoke only had two months to live at the most. No one could help her.

Then, Zecora heard that there was a famous healer who was visiting relatives in town. The legendary medicine mare, Zelunjo.

Zecora found Zelunjo and pleaded like never before in her life for the older Zebra to look at her sister. Zelunjo agreed, and after examining her, said she could treat Amoke….if she had a certain rare ingredient that wasn't even for sale.

Zecora demanded to know what the ingredient was and what it looked like, and no sooner than she was told then she stormed out of the village and ran into the jungle. It took her all night, and a narrow escape from a panther, but she found it, and returned victoriously.

It was a perfect specimen. Zelunjo's medicine made Amoke well and energetic again. But, she have to take the medicine for the rest of her life, and Zelunjo couldn't stay in town forever.

However, she was impressed with Zecora's ability to find such a rare plant after just hearing about it, as well as her drive to save her sister. She saw potential in the young Zebra and offered to train Zecora so she could take care of her sister.

Zecora accepted. In time, she began a great herbalist, and treated many patients besides just her sister. All was well….

…Until the Red Plague struck. Amoke was among the first infected. She was in her preteen years.

The Red Plague was mysterious, as while there were historical instances of it, there had been no sign of it for centuries, and it was almost forgotten. But now, it was back with a vengeance."

The only cure: an extinct plant called "Night Root."

It only grew in the supernatural, eternally dark, area around Zebrica's Darkest Grove (and had lured many Zebras into the Grove) which, 300 years ago, a distraught king had burned down after the tragic insanity and subsequent loss of his son. (The prince had heard of ancient heroes who did battle with their own shadows and through victory became spiritually cleansed. Apparently, this prince had slain his lover, mistaking her for an assassin when she snuck into his tent on the eve before a battle. He did not find salvation in the Grove.) The father's terrible vengeance took all the Night Root with it.

Zecora buried herself in her studies, trying to find anything to cure her sister. Her own health deteriorated, and she became obsessed with the subject of the Darkest Grove. She hated the old King for destroying such a valuable cure, but eventually, she had to admit to herself that it was a mystery no one had attempted to do something like that before.

Perhaps back in the days when the Red Plague was rampant and Night Root was necessary, none would dare approach the grove, but during its long absence, zebras started to forget.

And now Zecora's town was suffering for it. Amoke was suffering for it…..

Then, she found the answer.

The Everfree Forest, near Equestria.

It was a monster-filled region that the local ponies stayed far away from. But there were stories and rumors of a dark center of the forest where even the largest and most terrifying monsters gave a wide breath. The darkest region of the forest. The forbidden region, even to dragons.

It wasn't much to go on, but Zecora was desperate. She memorized everything the books had to say about Night Root and she planned to leave immediately.

But then, Amoke's condition turned for the worse. Zecora dropped everything and tried to do everything she could.

"Thank you…big sister. You've done so much for me….I'm so sorry, but I don't think I'll be able to hold on that long." Amoke

"Amoke! Don't talk like that! I'll get to the Night Root, just be strong! You'll survive!"

"Hee hee…That rhyme doesn't work very well." Amoke giggled some more before started another of her terrible-sounding coughing fits.

(Again, rhymes lost in translation)

Zecora placed a bowl filled with some sort of liquid near Amoke. "Don't just laugh this off! This is dire and serious! Here, take this for your cough."

(Ironically, that one DIDN'T rhyme)

Amoke didn't drink it.

"Amoke! Do what I say! You've always taken your medicine before!"

"Big sister….please don't give up hope. It's wonderful you found the Night Root….but I don't think I can even drink this stuff. *Cough!* My stomach can't take it. How am I going to be able to eat the Night Root?"

Zecora's eyes watered. "I'll fix it! I'll make it go down easier! Just be strong! Stop talking like this is the end."

"Zecora- *cough cough!* …no one has ever tried harder than you to keep me alive. And you are incredible at what you do. You're the best big sister I could ask for! I'm sorry I've been such a burden."

"I…you've never been a burden, Amoke! Please! You're part of the reason I'm still alive too! Where do you think I got the strength to stare down that panther in the jungle? Where? Herb collecting in the jungle isn't the delicate, fanciful activity some zebras make it out to be! I can only face what's out there because of my will to protect you"

"But...that's why I'm telling you not to lose hope…even if this is the end, there are so many more sick zebras that need your help." Amoke spoke in a raspy voice.

"No!"

"Don't lose hope!" Amoke's voice suddenly rose. She coughed for a moment before she continued. "You have to promise me you'll be strong and keep helping all the victims of this terrible sickness even if I die."

Zecora wiped her tears and gave Amoke a smile. "I promise… but listen, Amoke. I've added some extract to the medicine. It should go down easier. Just try it. You can't give up either, okay?"

Amoke smiled and tried to take the medicine. She put up a brave face, but couldn't keep it down. Despite Zecora's best efforts, her condition worsened and hardly a day passed before she was gone.

Zecora had already packed her bags. Zecora didn't feel like going anywhere or doing anything.

But…she had a promise to keep.

AND force of habit. She got some more books. She had more to research. More on the Grove. More about Shadows. More about the ancient Shamans who bound spirits to masks and use astral projection and attempted to master the mysteries of the Grove.

Originally, she just wanted to get in find some Night Root to save Amoke, and get out. But now she needed it for all of Zebrica. Zecora was worried about entering the Grove herself. But now she wanted in. She would conquer her dark side…and then she could harvest all the Night Root. All of it. There would never be another sufferer of the Red Plague ever again.

Zecora learned a lot in this last cram session. She would be ready.

Sadly, so did Shadora. She would be _more_ ready.

* * *

><p>Rarity wiped her tears. "So…that's why you came to Ponyville. But…what happened when you got here?"<p>

Zecora inhaled deeply. "I was killed for the first time within the first hour. I was shocked by my Dark half, but when I rose again, I falsely believed that at that point I knew the full measure of her power.

This second life of mine, however, was when things started to turn unbearably sour. Although I only used such things to help others and cure disease, my knowledge of herbology and spirits allowed my Shadow to create two armies."

"Armies?"

"My army was made up of a village populated by reflections of every zebra I've ever known. All of whom were who were all incredibly loyal to me. While my Shadow commanded tigers and other beasts from her throne. I thought they were 'Reflections'. Dream Zebras. Illusions of the Grove. It wasn't until I knew the truth that I realized how deeply into my heart the stake was drove."

"What was the truth then?" Rarity asked.

"There was a healthy, happy Amoke who was the first to wake me up everytime I died. Everytime I got them all killed. I could never convince her to stop following me around, no matter how hard I tried. The real Amoke was frail and sickly, while this one was everything I ever wanted for her. And it hurt. It hurt when she spoke using her voice. It hurt when she called me her sister. And it hurt most of all when I was no longer sure.

She was a mockery of my Amoke. But….she wasn't a Reflection, my friend. 'Reflections' are empty shades with barely the substance of wind. Zombies made from the memory of those who enter the grove, and under the thrall of their Shadow.

My Reflections were different. When they said they loved me, they meant it. And…only now, after its too late do I know."

"You mean…but Zecora, if you're the only one whose ever been in the grove personally, then how do you know your "Reflections," as you call them, were different?"

Zecora hung her head. "It was there in the records. I didn't study enough. Too angry, too impatient. Seemed unimportant and too sparsely mentioned. When I was forced to leave. I researched again, and I found out all the important stuff:"

* * *

><p>-Reflections cannot interact or even notice you unless a Shadow is nearby to guide them. And only when they are told too.<p>

-Reflections are born from your memories, and they will act in more or less the same way you remember them. They cannot do new things unless a Shadow orders it. They are not sentient, or even alive.

-You do not have a 'memory' of yourself, unless a recent out of body experience or dream produces one Therefore, if you meet yourself in the Grove, it is almost certain that this creature is your Dark Side.

-They can touch you, but generally just opt to phase through you like a ghost. There is no record of a Reflection killing any Zebra, not even for encroachment purposes.

* * *

><p>"My army of Reflections came right up to me, without the Dark Zecora to guide them. If I only took what the records had to say on Reflections more seriously, I wouldn't have acted so stupidly and grim.<p>

They did new things, did great feats of heroism fighting for me…things I don't remember them doing from the past. If I only knew, it would've been obvious how that could not be."

"What I think I'm getting from this." Rarity said, rubbing her head. "Is that something was different about them. I'm sorry, could you be a dear and go back to not rhyming for just a teensy little bit?"

"Magical Shadows result in Living reflections. Living, breathing, feeling, thinking Reflections. I just know how the Shaman of Old communed with spirits through Masks and how to do a ritual like this Astral Projection…

…so my Shadow thought it would be incredibly clever to force me to play a war game with her. Where her army was a bunch of bloodthirsty carnivores, including that one Tiger who ate my Uncle, and my army was a made up of all my Neighbors and family. Including…"

"Amoke." Rarity said.

"…yes. I think I got seven different Amokes that I all got killed. I got killed eight times, and I lost a little more of myself each time…but each one of those Amoke Reflections lost everything, and never stopped trusting me. Defeating that witch helped me feel alive again in the moment, but sometimes I think that the life-saving medicine I send back to Zebrica is the only thing that keeps me going." Zecora concluded.

"Zecora…I'm so sorry." Rarity said.

"And that's why even if we send in others, we can't send in unicorns. Shamanism just relies on other spirits who provide the magic. Shadora might have also been using magical plants, possibly even Night Root itself to create the Living Reflections.

I just had a small amount of tangential magical knowledge. I don't have an inner source of magic. We are _not_ going to see what a shadow with a horn can do.

Right now, the only thing we can do is put our faith in Rainbow Dash. She ran off before I can instruct her fully, but I have confidence that she can find Pinkie and get her out of the Grove. My battle lasted for days before I had to retreat. At this stage, Pinkie can still leave without defeating her shadow. It's Rainbow's Shadow that is the most dangerous to Pinkie, and that's why I'm hesitant to send anyone else in after her. More Dark Sides just increases the chance that everyone ends up dead."

"But…do you think Rainbow Dash can handle it on her own?" Rarity asked.

"She is a proud, boastful pegasus. But she might actually be as great as she says."

Suddenly, the Striped Ghost and the Wrathful Wraith were visited upon by a Fluttering Shade.

"Girls! I don't know what to do! She's completely inconsolable! I mean, I can talk to her or anything, but I just can't stand watching her anymore." The Spirit said.

"I know, Fluttershy. I saw what happened to Pinkie Pie." Rarity said. "But Zecora thinks we should-"

"It's not Pinkie Pie. It's Rainbow Dash! She's having a nervous breakdown!"

Rarity looked at Zecora worriedly.

Zecora scowled. "And just now I realized I could've been sharing all of that information about my Grove battle with one of the ponies who actually can act as the reinforcements…."

The Shade gasped. "Zecora! You didn't rhyme that!"

The Wraith sighed. "Yes dear, it seems today is a very extraordinary day…"

The Ghost groaned. "Could this day get ANY worse!"

"IT SAW ME!" A very demented looking Twilit Specter came galloping out of the Grove. "None of the others, not even the Evil Rainbow Dash, saw me, but it saw me! It spoke to me!"

"What did? Please, Twilight Sparkle, tell me! What did you see?" Zecora demanded.

"She's fixed!" the Shade gasped again.

The Wraith shushed her.

"I-it was….the blond unicorn with a Fire cutie mark." The Specter stuttered. "Not like the other ponies that just ignored me…Don't remember seeing her in Ponyville…Or even Canterlot...Zecora, what IS going on!"

Zecora had no clue.

* * *

><p>"Hey! Hey! Come back, I'm not done talking to you!" Shadash called after the surprisingly spry yellow unicorn Reflection with a short, golden, mane and tail, and a flame for her cutie mark..<p>

"Aw…that purple pony disappeared. I just wanted to make friends…."

Shadash crossed her arms. "And I kept telling you there was nothing there. Now…What are you?"

"I'm a unicorn, duh!" the Reflection giggled. "And there was too something there!"

"Was not." Shadash countered.

"Was too!" the yellow unicorn shot back.

"Was not!"

"Was too!"

"Was not, was not!"

"Was too, was too!"

"Arg! Look, I don't care anymore. Let's start with something easy. What. Is. Your. Name."

"Oh, my name? I'm Sunny Gold! Oooh! Do you want to be friends?" Sunny said.

"Fr-friends? No way! I don't trust normal ponies OR shadows. Why would I want to talk to some kind of …memory-less….Reflection? Ugh..WHERE DID YOU COME FROM?"

"Uh, DUH! Mom, plus Dad (who is technically also my Mom because she's female). And also the Cabbage Patch!" Sunny said happily.

"Oh sweet Shadestia… There's two-well, technically THREE- of them now." Shadash held her head in her hooves.

"You're funny. I like you!" Sunny hugged and cuddled against Shadash.

"AH! Get away! Don't touch me!" Shadash squirmed and squirmed but couldn't escape. "Grrr..umph! What in the ABYSS do you eat for breakfast? Let go!"

"Aww…It's just a hug." Sunny giggled as she let Shadash go.

"Just…just…" Shadash's eyes rapidly shifted back and forth from the ground to the unicorn filly. "I gotta go." Shadash took to the skies.

"All right, come back soon, okay?" Sunny giggled.

"SOMETHING IS FUNDAMENTALLY WRONG WITH YOU!" Shadash pointed a hoof at Sunny now that she was out of hugging range. She flew off, trying to turn her mind towards more comfortable, familiar things like paranoia and loathing.

"I made a friend." Sunny smiled. "Now…where'd that Purple unicorn go?"

* * *

><p>Author's Note: Wow, I did NOT expect my computer to crash like that. Its been a rough journey putting everything back in order, but here's your update. Just in time for….(checks time)….Well, for November.<p>

"Amoke" is a Nigerian name meaning "Special gift to be cared for."

"Zelunjo" has similar origins and means "Stay away from evil."

"Sunny Gold" means …"Gold that is Sunny."


	19. Omake files 3, part 2: More Colossi!

_(I do not own My Little Pony, Shadow of the Colossus, etc. This is also a filler chapter that is not part of the main story. Actually, it is a continuation of the third Omake chapter for the Dark Side, so if you haven't read that, __do go back and read it now__.)_

_(A/N: In the original game, Dormin's clues for all the following Colossi start with the phrase "Thy Next Foe Is…" and then goes on to speak in a sentence that is usually not grammatically correct. This is likely due to a too-literal translation. To make it a little less ugly, I'll replace the phrase with "Thy Next Destination…" when pertinent._

_Also, I am SO sorry to my readers for waiting so long for this update. **Also, Chapter 16 of the proper story is on its way.**)_

Last time, on **"Pinkie of the Colossus"**

Pinkie Pie: "I'VE NEVER FELT SO ALI-" *is impaled by seven or so 100-foot long ribbons of dark magic* "Hrrrkkk…." *falls to the ground and stops moving*

…

…

….

And now, the thrilling conclusion!

**The Dark Side**

_Omake files 3.5_

_Smiles. Laughter. Music. Cruelty-free party favors. These were everywhere in the mysterious room. The layout of the place was similar to the room she used for parties in Sugarcube Corner, but the wallpaper and paint job reminded her of the house on the rock farm where she had grown up on. The floor was bright and polished and inviting ponies to dance. The walls were decorated with brightly colored ribbons, a banner that said "Happy Birthday, Pinkie Pie!", and, of course, a Pin-the-tail-on-the-pony game. The ceiling was…very ceiling-ish. All in all, it should've been Paradise for Pinkie. It was everything she ever wanted once upon a time._

_And yet…and yet…_

_WHY WERE THEY ALL SO CHEERFUL? APPLEJACK! BERRY PUNCH! NOTEWORTHY! FLORIDE! LITTLE TORNADO BOLT! POKEY PIERCE! THAT COLT WITH THE BOWLING CUTIE MARK WHOSE NAME SHE COULDN'T REMEMBER FOR MORE THAN FIVE SECONDS! Ponies who had all died horribly at her hooves where smiling at her and wishing her "Happy Birthday." And then there were ponies like her sisters or Fluttershy who she were telling her she didn't have to feel ashamed to look them in the eye, because they loved her and wanted to be around her. At least they were leaving her alone to stare at the floor for a whil-_

"_Pinkie, come on! Are you still crying? We're all okay. Really."_

_Rainbow Dash. Of course. It had to be her who confronted her._

"_Dashie...it's *hic* not right. Y-you of all ponies should want to *hic* punish me for what I've done."_

"_Pinkie. It wasn't you. It was the bad Pinkie Pie."_

"_I CAN'T JUST USE HER AS A SCAPEGOAT! I AM HER." Pinkie began pacing across the room. "Maybe I wasn't her once upon a time, but things are all confused now. My brain is filled to the brim with memories of all the things I did to you. And you. And you… And Oh Celestia, you're everywhere. I don't even know if I'm Sweetie Pie who took back control but retained Meanie Pie's memories and therefore is technically still her or if I'm Meanie Pie who grew a conscience and is rightfully being torn to pieces. Or if I'm both and neither at the same time. The one thing I'm certain about is that whatever happened, It's all still my fault. I can never be free-"_

"_Hey, dork. Just accept that everypony forgives you already. You're bumming out the whole party." Silver Spoon poked her head in between Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash._

"_Yeah!" Sweetie Belle chimed in. "If nothing else, you're upsetting Scootaloo!" Sweetie motioned with her hooves to indicate the orange pegasus sleeping peacefully on the couch next to her. It seemed that Sweetie Belle had been stroking her mane this entire time, an angelically content if tear-stained expression on Scootaloo's face._

_Over Silver Spoon's shoulder, Pinkie saw Diamond Tiara running around with Apple Bloom on her back. It seemed kind of like Tiara had snuck between Bloom's legs from the side and hoisted her up on her back and started running. "Tiaraaaa!" Apple Bloom whined. "Come on, smile already, Blank flank! That 'being happy' cutie mark isn't going to earn itself!" Diamond Tiara said back. _

"_Ah don't think there is such a thing as a 'bein happy' cutie mark! Or if Ah even want one as silly as that!" Apple Bloom protested, although her tone was thrown off with laughter._

"_No excuses!" Tiara said as she ran even faster and the two crashed into Applejack and they all tumbled into a pile of giggles and noogies._

_Pinkie was flabbergasted. Some part of her was SCREAMING that she should find everything just lining up and fixing itself even better than before to ring hollow. At least it should've felt like, 50 times sappier and syrupy-sweet than it did. Would anypony really be this forgiving? Let alone a whole room of them? Even if they came back to life, didn't the fact that that was possible now mean they could at least torture her themselves before they forgave her? But…she really wanted to believe in this world. She really wanted to trust her lying eyes and ears. Maybe it really was that simple. Maybe, just maybe she could forget. Somewhere in the ballpark of 20 or so Miracles had already erased all her mistakes so far. Maybe redemption had somehow found her and she just needed to…_

_Pinkie turned to Rainbow, rubbing her left leg with her right hoof. "Dashie?"_

"_Yyesss?" Rainbow asked._

"_It's not just what the Shadow Pinkie did. She made the one who was your friend do horrible things in the Grove before she finally just…gave up. And then, the fact that she did give up means-"_

_Dash put a hoof over her mouth. "Means that I screwed up trying to save you and it's just as much my fault as anypony's. Are you saying that I should be punished for my failure, too?"_

"_No! That's not what I-"_

"_And you're not going to do it anymore. So what's the problem, you silly filly?" Dash laughed._

_Pinkie looked away, unsure. Then she turned back to Dash. "If I ever, ever do anything to hurt you, or anypony, in any way ever again, you have to promise me you won't hesitate to punish me. I really, really want you to tear into me when you do it, too. Call me all the bad names. ALL OF THEM."_

"_Yeah, yeah, yeah. You'll let me whip you if you misbehave, blah, blah, blah. Look, do want to eat some of this giant, pony-free birthday cake the Cakes made especially for you with the rest of us, or not?"_

"_More than anything in the __world__." She said in a barely audible whisper, shedding what she felt would be her last tear ever._

_And there was cheering all around._

_And it this wonderful paradise was destroyed by a great and terrible explosion of blinding light and deafening sound._

* * *

><p>On the hard, stone floor of the Shrine of Worship, a little pink mare in a purple jacket leaped at the sound. Above her, the dark outline of a bear disappeared into thin air before she could take account of it having ever been there... The forces present in the temple noted how curious it was that the pony's entire body became brighter and more colorful in the short span of time she had rested on the floor, her mane curling all the while.<p>

But then the Valus idol had awakened her with the sound of it exploding, leaving nothing but a mound of dirt and chunks of rock

She looked around –failing to see the bear made from animated shadows- and realized just where she was and what was, and was not happening.

Her mane collapsed and her dull coloration returned, all at once.

She had the dream again. It had been haunting her these past few weeks, ever since she became "Dual Pie". It seemed more wonderful, and therefore crueler, each time she had it. And she always, always fell for its seductive promises that everything was okay…

But redemption hadn't, and wasn't, going to find her on its own, and she could never make up everything. Not without at least bringing back the dead.

And then, she remembered that that was exactly what she was doing. It was why the idol exploded. And that meant…

…

Pinkie rose to her hooves, and walked over to the altar to observe her best friend/former cannibalism and torture victim/general object of guilt-fuelled obsession.

Rainbow Dash.

Pinkie stood silently over her friend. And her mouth fell open.

Before, Rainbow's face had stared soullessly into space, her mouth frozen in an unnatural, forced smile even without its stitches. Now…her eyes were closed and her lips were more closely press together. Just a small change to the face caused such a big effect on how.

In spite of the line of marred skin that marked where Pinkie had removed the stitches around Dash's belly when she had restructured the body to hold the various organs she replaced, and the line of new stitches she replaced to close Dashie back up, and the fact that almost every single feather in her wings was ruffled and out of place –although, even in the chaos of all the other feathers that were disturbed from Pinkie playing with her dolly and also from the rather stressful escape from Canterlot, Pinkie could still pick out the three or so feathers on the left wing that marked the part she bit on when she stretched it out to begin hacking it off-, and her tail was still singed from when Apple Bloom had set her on fire (thankfully Scootaloo's carefully compartmentalized brain allowed for enough respect for the preservation of Rainbow's remains to take risks to try and save her old hero. She couldn't do the same for Sweetie Belle's, however.), the scars over her flanks that haunted Pinkie with Rainbow's voice calling out for the Pinkie Pie who was her friend to wake up and take back control, the scars around the side of her body when Rainbow had given up and was cursing Pinkie's name, the holes in her hooves made just after when Dash was apologizing because it was her fault for not saving Pinkie Pie and saying how they would always be friends and it wasn't too late, right before Pinkie laughed in her face and took the hammer and…and…

Pinkie told herself to avoid looking at that particular wound from now on. Still, in spite of…ALL THAT, Rainbow Dash's peaceful face made her look like a storybook princess…a reminder of happier times, and a promise of redemption that offset the enduring shame of the lower part of her body. And of course, there were her lips...which brought a truckload of feelings to mind when Pinkie had gotten close enough to Rainbow Dash to kiss her, begging her to "snap out of it!" Shadamena was shocked and fought it at first, but then thought "what the hell" and allowed herself to melt into Dash. Before she went back to work and was all business again.

...It might be the nostalgia talking, or possibly the newly rediscovered dislike for sugary treats and/or cannibalism, but the kiss from the warm, passionate, living Dashie had tasted so much better than the cuuuu... the cupcaaaa... the stuff. That came after. That she was looking forward to.

Suddenly, Dormin made its presence known as the airy sound from before filled the room. The voice in the sky spoke. "Thy next foe is in a seaside cave. It moves slowly; raise thy courage to defeat it….." And then, the airy static died down and the Shrine of Worship became silent.

"Right. At least I'm making progress. And I have all the time in the world!" Pinkie drew the Ancient Sword from her jacket. "Now, I'll just have to use the light of the sword to track down the fifteen remaining Colossi with nothing to worry-" Pinkie's sentence was cut off as the Shrine of Worship was bathed with blinding light by a bright, white flash radiating from the sword.

"AH! My eyes! You're doing it too hard, sword!" Pinkie squeaked.

"-that mean?" Apple Bloom finished as she and Scootaloo suddenly appeared, with. "Hey, where are we?" Bloom asked.

"-about." Pinkie finished absent mindedly. _Why are Scooty and Bloomy here? This is no place for little fillies! No, no, no, no!_

"MISS PINKAMENA!" Scootaloo chirped in a rather excited version of her feminine voice. The young pegasus tackle-hugged the dazed and confused mare.

"Pinkie!" Apple Bloom tried to move in for a hug, but Scootaloo rocked off of Pinkie in just the right way to block Apple Bloom. "Scootaloo, you lousy, no-good, cheating chicken-girl!"

"Hey, stop calling me a chicken!" Scootaloo barked in her tomboy voice. "I'm the one who saved you."

Apple Bloom looked a little confused for a moment, but then her eyes dilated and she growled. "Ah did that mahself! You set just set fire to everything, trying to make sure Ah didn't say anything. Probably about you and yer cushy 'nopony-knows-what-Ah've-been-doing-when-my-parents-aren't-watching' lifestyle."

"I was creating a _distraction_!" Scootaloo hissed. She returned to her soft-spoken pleasant voice and continued cuddling Pinkie. "But no matter. Right now, _I'm_ talking to Miss Pinkamena."

"Awright, git offa her!" Apple Bloom shoved Scootaloo out of the way and muzzled Pinkie, who seemed too deep in shock to register what was happening.

"Apple Bloooom…." Scootaloo said in a scary raspy tone when she got to her hooves. She tackled Apple Bloom and the two began to fight.

"Girls." Pinkie said, coming out of her shock.

The two fillies continued to kick and bite each other.

"Girls!"

They didn't stop.

"GIRLS!" Pinkie stamped her hoof. This time, the dust cloud settled to reveal both Apple Bloom and Scootaloo stretching each other's cheeks. Both fillies looked at the older pony.

"What are you doing here?" Pinkie asked, crossing her forelegs.

Suddenly, Apple Bloom pushed Scootaloo away and grabbed the scabbard. "Ah don't know! Ah just got this scabbard back for ya, Pinkie!"

Pinkie looked at the scabbard. On it was an inscription: The two must be as one, less the seal weaken. Should they ever be separated, speak the word, and Return.

"That's a cheap shot, Apple Bloom, _I_ was the one who found the wreckage!" Scootaloo whined.

_This scabbard brought them here. Great. Just great._

"Oh yeah? AH was still the one who found the scabbard!"

_And they are growling at each other again. Come on girls, I'm trying to think here…_

"AHEM. Look, I told you two to not follow me and go back to your families. I really needed to do this on my own, without worrying about you. I told you to lay low and you completely disobeyed me." Pinkie looked very disappointed.

Apple Bloom spoke up. "We didn't, Pinkie! Honest! There's a reason we did what we did! After you stole the sword, they took me from mah home! They hurt Big Macintosh!"

"What! Who did? Princess Celestia wouldn't…" Pinkie stopped herself. She knew the Princess feared the Dormin as well. But….she wasn't the original owner of the sword…

"It wasn't the Princess, Miss Pinkamena!" Scootaloo said. "They took Apple Bloom the day you left for Canterlot. They were trying to steal the same floorplans of the Canterlot Catacombs you stole! They were trying to get the sword back from Princess Celestia and foalnapped Apple Bloom to get information on you! I saw what happened, and followed them using everything you taught me about tracking, and when I got Apple Bloom back, we ran into the woods and headed for Canterlot!"

Pinkie blinked. "But….Who ARE they?"

"We don't know really. But they all wore these animal masks. And their leader had this robe with a strange design on it. Ah don't know how to describe it, really, it doesn't look like anything in particular. It's just kind of blocky…"

"Nice Intel, Apple Bloom." Scootaloo scoffed.

"Excuse me, Ah'm talkin' to Pinkie." Apple Bloom smiled.

"Apple Bloom Did you say…animal masks?" Pinkie asked, her voice ever-so-lightly trembling with apprehension as she tried to contain her shock. The fillies still took notice of her change in attitude, for her eye twitched even if but a fraction of a second, and the tone of her voice betrayed that she was trying to sound calmer than she really felt.

"Y-yeah? Yeah, Ah did. Mostly Owls and bears and stuff." the yellow earth pony confirmed nervously.

Pinkie Pie shuddered. She could wish fervently that they weren't already on their way, but...it was too much to hope for.

* * *

><p>The enemy Pinkie feared was the descendants of the creatures who lived in the forbidden land before they sealed the Dormin and retreated to Equestria. They had started some other religion that was based around the worship of another deity from Dormin. Dormin was a being of light and life, but also of darkness and death, and although it came to be worshipped as a god by these natives for ages, they eventually could no longer accept its incomprehensible and pluralistic nature. Every life Dormin agreed to resurrect was offset by the ones Dormin did not. There was also the matter of Dormin's terrifying presence.<p>

And then they heard the voice of their "true" god, who had only the aspects of a god that they found favorable, while Dormin represented the darkness that they hated. Inspired by this new religion, they magically sealed Dormin into the land itself. Now that the earth contained Dormin's essences, it was cursed, so they used the bridge that came out of Dormin's temple to exit their world and enter Equestria. Pinkie also had the feeling that they didn't want anything that could break the spell on Dormin to remain in the land, so it was a kind of self-imposed exile.

Also, now that Pinkie Pie knew there were Colossi, she wondered if the forbidden land was actually safe to live in anymore…

They rebuilt their culture in Equestria, receiving help from Princess Celestia. But they didn't seem to like the existence of any god other than their own, and this Alicorn who controlled the Sun and the Moon rubbed them the wrong way. There was also the story of the time before Nightmare Moon, when Celestia ruled alongside a dark Princess who brought out the night. Even though she sealed her sister in the moon, this whole "balance between light and darkness" thing reeked too much of Dormin and they plotted against the Princess, trying to seal her in the Sun and bring about eternal daytime. Their coup failed, and Celestia forced them to disarm, which included taking the sword and a lot of other dangerous magical contraband labeled 'holy artifacts' for herself.

All of Pinkie's sources, both from the Outsiders and those by Equestria's own academy, generally portrayed the Dormin as a frightening, unknowable, _other_ creature. But those made in Equestria were skeptical the Dormin ever existed, unlike those made by the Outsiders.

And of course their books were off course going to say the Dormin was real. It was their enemy, after all.

Ever since their crushing defeat and much-too-lenient surrender conditions, their descendants hadn't caused any trouble, and few Equestrians who didn't live along side them knew they even were there.

But if they were foalnapping children to get to some pony who only MIGHT have the sword…

* * *

><p>"-they were trying to steal the sword back from Celestia!" Pinkie started pacing around the altar. "I need to hurry, they've been right on my tail this entire time. They probably will send an army here without even waiting for news of the sword's theft just to cover their bases!" Pinkie took a deep breath, and collected her thoughts.<p>

_No, this is a good thing. It meant that I was lucky. I beat them to the sword. If they were even a little faster getting the scroll, I would have lost Dashie forever. But now…they are off balance. Maybe I still have time to kill the Colossi and leave Dashie and the fillies. …or have Rainbow leave with the fillies after she kills me, whichever._

_But first…_

Pinkie knelled next to Apple Bloom. "Apple Bloom, did they hurt you?"

"No, Pinkie, but Big Macintosh got real mad when they barged into the house. They didn't listen to him and just knocked him down and pinned him. When he realized they were taking me away, he went wild and they broke his legs! It got really twi-" Apple Bloom

"Thank you, Apple Bloom, I get the picture." Pinkie said, wondering if she didn't need to train Apple Bloom to watch her language around squeamish ponies a little harder. "Girls, I'm so very sorry I brought you and the Apples into this. Both of you." Pinkie added to Scootaloo. "And thank you for getting the scabbard back. I had no idea it was such a liability. But I'm going to have to ask that you stay out of my way now."

"Awwww…." Both fillies whined.

"No! Don't you 'awww…' me. The thing I have to do to revive Dash is really, really, REALLY dangerous and I can't afford to worry about you two getting crushed or eaten by Colossi!"

"What's a …Colossi?" Apple Bloom asked with a confused expression.

"Colossus, sweetie. Colossi is plural." Pinkie corrected. "They are large and terrible monsters that look like the idols over there. They roam this land, and they are the reason you are going to be staying put here."

"These things?" Apple Bloom observed one of the idols. "Why they are the funniest-looking things Ah ever did see! Why, if Ah ever met one of those Colasa thingies Ah'd laugh at how silly it was!"

"Hee hee, yeah!" Scootaloo giggled. "Miss Pinkamena, no offense, but these aren't scary at all. And I'm sure we could take care of ourselves."

"No." Pinkie said with finality. "Girls, please. I can let you run around outside, so long as you stay close to the temple and run back inside in case of Giant Killer Bird attack."

"Giant Killer Bird attack? Pinkie, are you loco in the coco?" Apple Bloom blinked.

Pinkie pointed at one of the idols, which possessed a beak. "It's called Avion."

"Well, it's the silliest one of the bunch. How is it supposed to peck anything with that flat beak?"

"Is that what this is about, Apple Bloom? The idols are just representations of the Colossi! They are much, much scarier up close! They have hair you can climb, hooves that make the ground shake with every step, and eyes that change colors when they're angry…"

"Oh, neato! Ah wanna see one up close now!"

"Apple Bloom. No. And the same goes for you, Scootaloo."

Silence.

"Scootaloo?" Pinkie suddenly noticed she was missing a filly. "Scootaloo!"

Both ponies ran outside.

* * *

><p>They found Scootaloo on the shore of a beach in the bay to the north of Shrine of Worship. They crossed a bridge and climbed down a cliff.<p>

"I was going to come right back, Miss Pinkamena." Scootaloo said apologetically. "I just wanted to get some fresh air and then I saw how bright and beautiful everything was and I just had to fly. And then I saw a beach and I don't remember the last time I was at the beach and…I'm so, so, sorry, Miss Pinkamena, I just forgot. Please forgive me..."

Apple Bloom didn't say anything, but pawed at the sand…

"It's okay, Scootaloo. But I need to ask that you and Apple Bloom go back to the temple and just play around there. I can't fight the Colossi if I'm worried about you two, and I can't spent anymore time arguing about it. So, just do what I say!" Pinkie commanded. Somehow, it was really hard to say that to Scootaloo…

"Do we really have to? I mean. We could just stay here. This beach seems safe enough…and there's more than enough cover to hide if something DID come up. Please….I bet it would help Apple Bloom feel better too." Scootaloo pleaded.

Pinkie looked at Apple Bloom, who blankly returned the gaze before slowly smiling ever so faintly.

"Fine."

"Yay!" both fillies cheered.

"But don't wonder off too far. Just stay in sight of the bridge, okay? And no swimming out in the really deep water out there. I don't want to come back and find out you got gobbled up by Hydrus or drowned or something."

"What's a Hydrus?" Scootaloo asked.

"Nevermind. Just go play." Pinkie sighed.

Scootaloo smirked, flew behind Apple Bloom, scooped her up and threw her in the water. Apple Bloom growled at Scootaloo hoving above her, laughing. With a mighty roar of "CHICKEN GIRRRRL!", Apple Bloom rose on her hind legs and dropped down, stomping into the water, and splashing Scootaloo with a great tower of water. Scootaloo fell down into the water as with a squeak as her entire body cringed with the freezing water that splashed her everywhere. She emerged out of the water and started splashing Apple Bloom, who of course retaliated. Soon, Scootaloo was driven back onto dry land, but Apple Bloom still chased her.

Pinkie smiled as they ran off. It was just so…good to see them acting like normal little fillies. Especially Apple Bloom, whom she feared had lost the ability to act like a normal pony during all the time she spent in the Room with Mr. Giggles. This childish display of innocent fun that completely did not involve disemboweling something warmed Pinkie Pie's heart and allowed her to believe for one moment that things might turn out alright for them.

Pinkie felt a kind of longing to play with them herself. Back in the old days, she'd totally join them and Twilight or some other pony would have to tell her to get back to-

_No. There is no time to reminisce. This cost me too much time as it is. Now, how did I find that first Colossus again? Oh right, duh. The sword._

Pinkie drew the Ancient Sword, this time from its proper scabbard which she strapped to herself where she could easily fetch it with her hoof or her mouth, and rose it up high.

The sword reflected light from the land's "sun" and became web of rays which narrowed into a beam when Pinkie pointed it towards the-

-_girls!_

It was pointing towards that wall of dark stone the girls were running towards.

"Girls? Girls! GIIIIRRRRLLLLLLSSSSS!" Pinkie start of at a trot, screaming at the top of her lungs, cold sweat breaking out and a chill freezing her entire pink body. "GIRLS! GET BACK HERE! RIGHT! NOW!"

"huh?" Scootaloo was the first to notice Pinkie's distress.

After a moment, Apple Bloom noticed Scootaloo had stopped. But not before she took one more step closer to that strange dark area where bars of smooth stone were.

And then, a mighty boom echoed from inside the cliffs. As dust fell from its top, the rock wall was torn asunder as a great beast made its presence known in an explosion of rock debris that flew past the fillies. They stared up in awe and terror, completely paralyzed by the intimidating stature of the second Colossus, Quadratus.

"Oh no…GIRLS, YOU HAVE TO RUN AWAY NOW!" Pinkie ran even faster.

Quadratus had brown fur and wore an iron headguard and mouthguard, but from where the fillies stood, a shadow fell over the Colossus, and Quadratus' features were obscured in the contrast of lighting. They didn't see a creature definite form, but rather an immense, terrible void of darkness. Its illuminated eyes glowed against this backdrop, assuring the fillies that, whatever they imagined this thing was..it saw them.

Scootaloo screamed and flew straight for Pinkie Pie. Apple Bloom, who had been the closest, and who had had a very rough day, did something much less clever.

She fell onto the sand, trembling. Screwing her eyes shut, she mumbled an endless mantra, "Ah'm sorry, Ah'm sorry, Ah'm sorry, Ah'm _sorry_, _Ah'm sorry_…..

Scootaloo hid behind Pinkie, but noticed her cover had left her behind, as the pink mare was already running towards the other filly. "APPLE BLOOM!" She screamed, "WHAT ARE YOU DOING! _RUN!_

"Miss Pinkamena! Don't!"

"Get in the air, Scootaloo!" Pinkie called behind her before returning her attention to Apple Bloom and the Colossus. As Pinkie neared the filly, she heard something that broke her heart.

"Ah'm sorry, Ah'm sorry, Ah'm sorry…"

_What? Oh no…this is my fault. She's remembering The Room._

"THAT IS –NOT- MR. GIGGLES, APPLE BLOOM! YOU'RE A GOOD PONY, JUST GET UP AND RUN AWAY!" Pinkie screamed. Apple Bloom didn't seem to hear her.

_Alright, time for plan B. _Running around Quadratus, Pinkie whistled. "YOU! HEY, YOU! PICK ON SOMEPONY YOUR OWN SIZE!"

Pinkie completely failed to come up as much as Quadratus' fetlock, or even the top of his hoof, but somehow, she figured he knew what she meant.

Quadratus looked at Pinkie Pie, then back at Apple Bloom. Then Quadratus raised its hoof….

"NO! DON'T YOU DARE!" Pinkie screamed.

….and stepped past Apple Bloom. It continued to move around on the other side of Apple Bloom from where Pinkie stood. It seemed to be giving Apple Bloom a wide area.

Pinkie and the colossus stared at each other for a moment. What was it doing? Pinkie wanted to fetch Apple Bloom, but still felt that the Colossus could be laying some sort of trap.

"I got her, Miss Pinkamena!" a voice called. And then Scootaloo swooped by, right in front of Quadratus and pulled the shivering earth pony foal with her into the air.

"Good work, Scootaloo! Now, get Apple Bloom away from here!" Pinkie called.

"On it!" Scootaloo called back as she made her way for the cliffs above. The young pegasus seemed to be having trouble ascending with the load, however. "Ugh, Apple Bloom, quit shaking!"

Quadratus just stood there and watched as Scootaloo flew away. As soon as the fillies were out of the way, however, the giant Ox released a mighty roar, and immediately rose on its hind legs.

Pinkie had as terrible sense of déjà vu, as Quadratus rose as if in slow motion, it send her recalling the time she was staring up at a hungry hydra head that was about to eat her. Twilight had saved her that time. But this time, she had to shake it off.

Pinkie drew her sword with her mouth, and charged.

She run under the Colossus, heard an earth-shattering noise behind her, leapt into the air, and slashed the Ox's fetlock.

That is to say, Pinkie's sword bounced off the fetlock uselessly and caused Pinkie to land face first in the sand, facing exactly ninety degrees from where she was facing a second ago.

The entire underbelly was made of stone. The hooves were stone. The fetlocks were stone. And none of it seemed climbable. All the hair, and presumably fleshy bits were up above the Colossus' knees, completely out of reach.

Pinkie raised the sword, but there was too much shade and mist to reflect any light rays. And something told her it would just point her in the direction of the furry section of the beast she couldn't get to.

_Well. This is completely unfair._

* * *

><p>Scootaloo had finally brought Apple Bloom to safety, and was exhausted from carrying her. Adrenaline still flowed through her body, and she turned to watch the battle. Miss Pinkamena was still down there. Somewhere.<p>

Scootaloo wasn't actually prepared for this, which was funny when she stopped to think about all the other tasks she was prepared for: Miss Pinkamena taught her a lot of things from telling convincing lies to draining the blood and pulverizing the bones of dead ponies. She could do a lot of things for Miss Pinkamena…even leave her when she was told too….

But, this was something different entirely. She heard the Colossus stomping around, but all she could see was its furry back from where she stood. It was so enormous and Miss Pinkamena, who she looked up to so much, was so small. She could be anywhere…

A beam of light shone upon the Colossus, it seemed to be searching for something…Scootaloo thought for one hopeful moment that it was some kind of super attack Miss Pinkamena was using…but it didn't turn out that way.

"Please, please be alright…" Scootaloo whispered.

"Ah'm sorry…Ah'm sorry…"

Scootaloo suddenly looked at Apple Bloom with mixed feelings. This was her fault. She had woken up this monster. And then she nearly got squished and caused Miss Pinkamena such distress. Also, she had been mean to Scootaloo ever since they started working together for reasons Scootaloo couldn't understand. But…Scootaloo couldn't do anything to her.

Suddenly, Scootaloo broke out of her reverie and realized that Miss Pinkamena was in sight. She was just standing there, waiting for the Colossus to turn around to face her. It did so, and now Scootaloo was _certain_ she was going to be doing some kind of clever trick, starting…NOW-okay, now she just sat down.

_Why was she just sitting there?_

"Miss Pinkamena?"

"Pinkie! Why'd y'all just standing there? RUN!" Apple Bloom had finally calmed down enough to realize she wasn't the one in danger anymore.

Pinkie was saying something. Addressing the Colossus directly. She was too far away, but she seemed to be wearing a look of….resignation?

"NO!" Scootaloo "MISS PINKAMENA, YOU CAN'T GIVE UP!"

Pinkie hung her head.

Quadratus rose on his back legs once more… its enormous body did not block Pinkie from view this time. Pinkie just allowed the giant hoof to hover dangerously above her head.

"No! NO, NO, NO, NO, NO! NOOOOO!" Scootaloo couldn't

"PINKIE!"

Quadratus' enormous body dropped down, putting all of its immense weight forward as its hooves did not so much stomp, as plummet back down to earth. The great Ox's body became as a brownish blur as it made its attack. The absolutely tiny –in comparison- pink pony was completely obscured from vision as the monster landed.

And the _world_ shook.

…

…

…

"GGRRRRRAAAAAAHHHHH!" The Beast roared and fell to its knee.

And some other sound echoed off the cliffs. It took the fillies a moment to identify it.

Laughter.

"Hee hee hee, ahahaha –snort snort-, Oh wow, you really fell for it!" Pinkie's taunts could be heard faintly by both fillies.

The pink swordsmare drew her knives and climbed up the now lowered knee, stabbing the Colossus every step of the way. Suddenly, the Colossus rose back on its leg, and began stomping.

Tiny gleams of light betrayed the many, many caltrops coming out of the bottom of the Ox's hoof. Pinkie held on for dear life as she waited for the stomping to end.

"It _was_ a trick. Miss Pinkamena made it stomp on a trap and ruin its hoof! She's sooo cool!" Scootaloo cheered.

"But, what is she doing now? It doesn't even feel her." Apple Bloom whispered to Scootaloo.

"I think she's trying to get on top of it..." Scootaloo mused. "Yeah, see, she's going around and climbing up on its rump there…and, whoa, did its plot just light up?"

Apple Bloom looked at where Scootaloo was pointing. There was an icon of what could best be described as two disks with serpentine tendrils extending outward in opposite directions, separated by a perpendicular band. "That symbol….Scootaloo! That's the exact same mark that was on the robe of the unicorn leading the ponies who kidnapped me!"

"Shh…not now, Bloom…GO MISS PINKAMENA! YOU CAN DO IT!" She shouted from over the cliff face.

Pinkie looked up at the fillies and waved, only for her to lose balance and almost be rocked off the Colossus when it started shaking.

Apple Bloom kicked Scootaloo with her foreleg.

"Eheheheheheh…" Scootaloo lowered her head.

Pinkie got back up, and _leapt_ into the air, taking the sword from her mouth and holding it with her forehooves. She landed perfectly in the center of Glyph on the Ox's backside, releasing a geyser of black blood that rose into the air like smoke.

The fillies cheered, not being normal children, but regretted it when they started to choke on the gas it became. They retreated, but they had lost sight of Pinkie. Again.

And then, the Colossus grunted once more, and there was another spurt of pressurized black blood spraying from the head, which was thrashing around, as a little pink pony bit down on a bit of its hair and held on to her three little knives like a vice. Her right foreleg's hoof pressed the sword close to her body, to keep it from flailing around too much.

"Yee-haw! Ride 'em, Pinkie Pie!" Apple Bloom seemed to have been recovering from her encounter with "Mr. Giggles" very quickly.

Meanwhile, Pinkie was cursing under her breath as the Ox shook her around like a rag doll. She finally had to use her tail to wrap around a bit of hair to steady herself. "Arg! I can't line up my jumps right like this, and if I try to position myself to stab it at close range, it starts shaking again!"

Finally, Quadratus got tired and paused for one moment.

Pinkie, still using her tail and the knives held in her hind legs, reared up, grabbed the sword in her fore hooves and looked down at the sigil with a demented looked in her eye as her muscles tensed…trying to finish this in one blow.

The Colossus was also tensing up its muscles…it was about to do something to send her flying.

**THUNK.**

The pain in its head was immense. The beast howled a great bellow and its muscles fell lax as its strength poured out of its head, bathing Pinkie in black. As it quickly lost the power to support its mighty body, it leaned unto its right side, which held it up only for a moment before its legs buckled under it. It rang out with something not unlike a sorrowful wail as it fell to the ground.

_I know…_Pinkie thought, her eyes glowing with an eerie greenish light as she held onto the sword to keep from falling off the collapsing Colossus. _I know it hurts, even if the book says you're not really alive in that way. But I promise I won't hurt anything ever again once I have what I want. Thank you for letting Apple Bloom go._

And thus fell Quadratus, the Ominous Oxen. Aspect of the Bay. Manifestation of Honor.

Pinkie picked herself up and huffed. As the Colossus darkened, she remembered what was coming.

_Oh right. Those black ribbons are coming. I was kind of hoping we could skip those this time. They hurt last time but can I even-_

"Miss Pinkamenaaaaa!" Scootaloo flew to position herself between Pinkie and the dark tendrils….

"Scootaloo! Don't! Go back to the Temple!" Pinkie called out, not wanting Scootaloo to experience what she had already. She didn't want Scootaloo to suffer the 'price which may be high, indeed.' as well.

She didn't even make it halfway there.

Pinkie felt the ribbons impale her, invading her body with whatever power they were carrying…once again she was paralyzed by their touch and helpless to do anything but suffer until they finally released her and let her fall to the ground.

_I take it back…all of you colossi are big meanie jerks. Ow._

* * *

><p>Next to the bear, a shadowy Ox stood over Pinkie, before the arrival of others caused them to vanish.<p>

….

Pinkie was shaken awake this time. She heard the voices of her assistants. She was back in the Shrine of Worship.

"Pinkie! Pinkie!"

"Miss Pinkamena!"

"Will ya stop calling her that, Scootaloo? It's too much of a mouthful and it grates on my-"

"Hello girls." Pinkie interrupted. "I hope I didn't give you too much of a fright."

"You're okay!" both fillies said in unison. Then, they looked at each other and glowered before looking away.

"Aw…you're so cute when you harmonize." Pinkie smiled and pulled the two foals into a hug.

"Anyway, Miss Pinkamena, what WAS all that?" Scootaloo asked. "I mean, it just tore out of the wall and then you were fighting it and you killed it and those things went into you and a big light in the sky sucked you up and Dormin told us to come back to the temple. But…why? What's the point?"

"I think….that's its unavoidable. As long as I continue to hunt down the Colossi, which is my full time job now, stuff like this is going to happen. It's going to be scary like it was today. And that's why I want you to stay out of my way. You won't be put in danger and see those scary things anymore." Pinkie

"Yeah, we don't want Apple Bloom to faint again." Scootaloo mocked. "And she calls me chicken…"

"Ah didn't faint!" Apple Bloom

"You broke down completely and you know it!" Scootaloo said, mocking her.

The fillies started to argue again, but they both gasped as a bright light flooded the temple, and the first idol on the _left_-hoof side exploded into dust.

Then, more hissing and rumbling came from the light in the ceiling.

Spoke the Dormin, "Thy next destination... Within the mist, a giant canopy soars to the heavens... The anger of the sleeping giant shatters the earth"

As the rumbling died down, Pinkie hugged Apple Bloom.

"Pinkie?" Apple Bloom

"I have to go now. Are you going to be okay, Apple Bloom? I'm really sorry I got you and the family you were supposed to go back to involved in this. …And…I'm still really, really, REALLY sorry about...the room."

Apple Bloom turned her gaze away. "A-Ah'll be fine. You already told me Mr. Giggles isn't real. Ah was just surprised is all…"

"Really?" Pinkie said, looking skeptical.

"Really!"

"Who's Mr. Giggles?" Scootaloo asked innocently.

Pinkie put her head in her hooves and Apple Bloom glared at Scootaloo, suddenly finding a whole new reason to be annoyed with her fellow "baking apprentice".

_Poor Apple Bloom… I never had to do much with Scootaloo. I mean, sure I did something, but whatever happened with her and Sweetie Belle seemed to really do all the messing up for me. Scootaloo's always been a bit of an enigma to me. And yet even so she is still all my fault…whoever the heck "my" is…_

"I'll tell you later Scootaloo. But right now…"

Pinkie pulled Scootaloo into the hug, to both fillies' surprise.

"Just know that I'm okay. I'm going to be okay. But, I need to know you two are going to be fine is all. I can't watch you. I need to finish up with you here so I can take down the rest of the Colossus and make the other idols explode. Preferably before the bad guys come. I'll probably be fighting all day, if it is ever even night here."

Scootaloo, who seemed lost in thought, sudden started blinking in confusion. "Wait. So you're going to take down 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6…ugh, I can't count from here…ALL these Colossi down in one day? How? I mean, it's like somepony is writing a really long adventure story but rushing everything to meet some kind of deadline. And is running it like a…montage or something…"

"_It's the eye of the Tiger, it's the cream of the fight…" _Pinkie sang while wagging her head from side to side with her eyes closed. Then she opened them. "Oh wait, this is still 'Being serious' time."

Apple Bloom giggled.

Pinkie smiled. That was the first time in a long time she made a pony laugh. Over something that wasn't evil.

"Girls, there's a very important task I need you to do."

"Anything, Miss Pinkamena! Should we booby trap the entrance so they can't get in?"

"Or map out the surrounding area in case that comes in handy later?" Apple Bloom suggested.

"Or make some kind of hang glider out the flesh of the Colossi you killed so you can take care of flying or really tall ones?" Scootaloo asked.

Pinkie blinked. "Those….are also good ideas." She hadn't thought about any of those. Especially the hang glider part, that could really come in handy. "But right now, I need you to forage for food. I thought I could graze off the grass when I got here, but it's completely too bitter to eat! And I can't waste time looking for food myself. Just don't kill anything with a face, okay? I hate to send you girls back out there, even if you stay away from Colossi, there might be a poisonous snake or something that. Oh, and watch out for poison ivy! It has three leaves- And poison joke! There is nothing funny about poison joke…well, there is but you won't be-"

Apple Bloom put a hoof over her mouth.

"We get it, Pinkie, we get it. We'll be careful."

"Promise?" Pinkie looked skeptical.

Both fillies nodded enthusiastically.

"….." Pinkie suddenly smiled. "Okie dokie lokie! No time to waste girls! Everypony ready? Three, two, one-"

"BREAK!" All three shouted out. Pinkie ran to the left exit from the Shrine, the fillies out the right. None of them noticed the two birds that seemed to be made of pure, white light flying into the air as they were startled by this sudden change in motion.

* * *

><p>Apple Bloom bucked the fruit tree, over and over again.<p>

"Come on, Come ON! Fall! Applejack made this look so easy!" Apple Bloom groaned.

"Are you sure Miss Pinkamena will eat something that sweet?" Scootaloo said as she plucked some leaves from the tree.

"Of course! It's not like it's a cupcake or anything…."

Scootaloo looked deep in thought for a moment. A not-entirely-chipper expression on her face. The sound of Apple Bloom's grunting as she kicked the tree again broke her out of it.

Scootaloo smirked and pulled the fruit off the tree herself. "I can get those, too, Bloom. Why don't you try to find some dandelions or digging up some something? I mean, maybe you'll find a truffle!" she taunted.

Apple Bloom glowered at the pegasus. Then she saw something.

"Hey, what about that?"

"Um…Miss Pinkamena said she didn't like the grass."

"No, not like that, Scootaloo! Ah just had the best idea ever! Get down here, we gotta practice!"

"Practice?" Scootaloo was thoroughly confused.

Apple Bloom grinned from ear to ear.

"Bloom, you're doing your 'its time to harvest the organs' smile. It's kind of scaring me…"

At the center of a great lake, there was a ramp. That lead to a walkway. That was itself wrapped around a horizontal, gyroscopic platform that was elevated above the lake. The surface of said platform was made of dirt, with the exception of a circular stone floor in the center.

On that stone floor stood that damned pink thing. It had awoken him. Him, Gaius. The Slumbering Giant.

Gaius' beautiful form was that of an enormous sloth with a slender head, covered in armor and small stone towers. It stood up perfectly vertically, its legs supported by leggings of stone. Its lower right arm had been replaced with a "sword", which was actually a giant stone pillar. Above the elbow of that arm, there was Gaius' lucky stone armband. He didn't know why it was lucky, he just wore it. Gaius' other title was 'the Earth Truth', as he felt what the dirt beneath his feet felt.

When the pony had first arrived, he thought he could just ignore it, but as soon as the detestable creature stepped on the dirt, the Earth giant could sense it. The presence of the ancient sword. It couldn't ignore that. It was such a pain.

Fortunately, after hopping around and even bursting into song at one point, the intruder was finally standing still so he could smash it with the stone pillar he had for a right arm. When he was done here, Gaius was going to sleep this off like a bad hangover.

Gaius swung his mighty weapon down upon the intruder….and the effect was immediate.

The sword bounced off the stone pedestal, and reverberations coursed up Gaius' arm and broke his lucky armlet! This annoyed Gaius immensely. Worse still, the intruder had escaped unscathed!

Such a pain. He had been tricked. Still, he had to proceed carefully. He couldn't let rage…

"_You gotta share…you gotta care…it's the right thing to do…"_

And before Gaius knew it he had already gotten his sword stuck in the dirt where the mare was a second ago and now it was running up his weapon and jumping unto his upper arm where it was stabbing him with tiny little knives.

He couldn't get it off! He couldn't get it off!

And thus, Gaius, the Slumbering Giant of the Mire and Manifestation of Sloth was…not yet slain. But it was only a matter of time.

He found his last moments of existence incredibly annoying.

* * *

><p>Back at Quadratus' bay, an enormous, moss-covered rock in the shape of an Ox that had fallen on its side gave eternal watch over the sea.<p>

"All right…why is it a rock now?" Apple Bloom asked.

"Beats me. So much for the hang glider idea."

"Yeah, we'd have to skin this darn thing with a pick ax."

"Actually, we don't have any tools at all, do we, Bloom?"

"We could've borrowed them from Pinkie. …Think she has a pick ax?"

Scootaloo rolled her eyes. "Anyway, I think this area is safe now. Now, can you explain to me WHY WE ARE WEAR-"

Apple Bloom put her hoof over Scootaloo's mouth. "Shh…just do as Ah do."

One dark injection of deific essence later, Pinkie 's body appeared once more in the Shrine of Worship. This time, the shadow of a sloth stood with the others. They disappeared as Pinkie woke up.

Gaius' idol crumbled like the first two and Pinkie heard the voice of Dormin give her advice on the next Colossus' location…

"Thy next destination... In the land of the vast green fields... Rows of guiding graves... It is a giant indeed... But fearful, it is not."

_Green fields? Graves? I think that this Aspect is…remorse? Yeah, actually, that stupid book only really went into detail over Malus, Phalanx, and Dirge. It grouped all the others in two paragraphs..._

Pinkie needed a moment to clear her mind. As she took a moment to observe Dash, three white birds scattered as she approached. Her body seemed slightly fuller than it was before. On closer inspection, she noticed that half the rope-web that held some of the organs in place was poking out of the body. It seemed to have left the other organs behind….

Pinkie made the mistake of touching Rainbow's chest, and immediately felt sick as the flesh sank with her touch.

She turned away, and ran without looking at Dash anymore as she exited the temple.

_Okay…I guess I should let the hivemind-demon-god-thing do its work without bothering Rainbow any more. I'll have to tell the fillies not to disturb her, either._

_Where ARE those two, anyway? …Maybe I shouldn't have sent them off on their own. No. I'm sure they're fine. This land isn't a battlefield…yet._

The field Pinkie Pie found herself in was incredible green. Absurdly green. It wasn't just the grass and the trees, but the mist that hung on the air was also greenish.

The Grave Fields weren't as chilly as the high altitudes or windy bays where Pinkie had fought her first three Colossi, but she felt an eerie chill about the place all the same.

She couldn't find the Colossus anywhere…what was the pony aspect called again? Feydora? Fedra? ….Oh well, its probably not important.

It wasn't in those creepy tunnels in the ground. Whatever they were. Some kind of Mausey…Maso…some kind of tomb place, maybe?

Pinkie finally noticed that around a corner of mountain cliffs, there was a bit of land she hadn't explored yet.

_Say, what -is- that over there, some kind of towe-_

The ground shook and the 'tower' suddenly lit up a pair of green eyes and rose to its hooves.

Well, it didn't look like any hoof Pinkie had seen before, it was more of a stone spear, but there was no denying what creature this Colossus was modeled after.

_It's…oh no. I don't believe this. This was clearly made just to haunt me, isn't it?_

Pinkie looked up at Phaedra. It was…in the shape of a pony. Or a horse, rather. However, it wore a helmet of tarnished iron which were draped with two ornate tassels that drooped down from the head. Its legs were white and bone-like. Its hooves were sharp and armored, even on the bottom, being made of stone. It had no tail (which was really incredibly meta for Dual Pie. Meanie Pie felt guilty about orchestrating that to Sweetie Pie, but she needed to use Sweetie Pie's conscience to feel that, but it was Sweetie Pie who had to suffer, so she shouldn't feel guilty about that but angry or at least annoyed at Meanie Pie…this line of thought was getting Pinkie nowhere fast.)

But the worse part was its belly.

It_ had _no belly.

Its rib cage hung out, not even emaciated, but bare and exposed for the world to see. It looked just like a pony that had been harvested for his or her organs…and made to walk again, possibly using Shadow Sparkle's magic.

As she gazed upon the giant zombie pony, Pinkie had an awful flashback of ripping out Rainbow's organs while under painkillers….

Rainbow Dash had stopped talking at that point, stopped screaming and stopped insulting and stopped pleading on her brighter sides behalf. And even stopped hyperventilating. But, suddenly, while Meanie was trying her joke routine going, Dash used the last of her strength to saying one last word.

"_No."_

It wasn't a pleading no. It wasn't very loud, either. It was her last word ever, and it was calm but unyielding. What did it mean?

"**_Pinkie…I'm so sorry!_**_"_Phaedra screamed in Rainbow Dash's voice

"Whaaa?" Pinkie panicked, completely confused by what she heard.

Phaedra stomped and sent out a mighty shockwave along with a loud 'WHAM'. Pinkie was knocked down from the force of this attack on the ground several feet away from her. Its stomp was even more powerful than Quadratus' was. And it was still stomping.

"**_I'm sorry!"_**WHAM! **_"I'm sorry!"_**WHAM! **_"I'm sorry!"_**WHAM! **_"I went in to save you and I failed! I'm sorry!" _**WHAM!

Pinkie realized that if any of those spear-hooves came down right on top of her, she'd die instantly. If she was lucky. If she was unlucky, she'd be paralyzed and hang around helpless for a while.

So she ran, but she went over in her head what she just thought she heard. _Da-Dashie? …NO! It's just your imagination, Pinkie! The real Dashie is counting on you!_

Phaedra didn't speak anymore after that, much to Pinkie's relief.

Pinkie's impulse to throw up was nullified by some other part of her consciousness she couldn't account for, and she noted that once again, she had no clear way up to the furry back of the monster horse.

Pinkie's first thought was to lay Caltrops on the ground just in case its hooves were sensitive like Quadratus'. This just destroyed the caltrop Phaedra stomped on directly and sent the ones it didn't flying in all directions, forcing Pinkie to run away, screaming.

"Ow! Ooohh…" Pinkie cursed as she looked back to her flank. One of the caltrops and nailed her, right in the cutie mark. It made something quite like a perfect circular cut, considering the angle it went in.

_This really is turning into my divine punishment for all my dark half was allowed to do, isn't it? No really, I'm afraid the world will implode into some kind of irony singularity if I just accidentally let the words "What", "Did", "I", "Do", "To", "Deserve", and "This" show up in the same sentence which I foalishly say out loud!_

_Ow…but seriously, I really needed this to not happen this early. I'm going to have to watch this wound so it doesn't bleed for all the rest of this adventure._

Pinkie retreated until she was a good distance away from the hulking horse. Pinkie yelped as she used her tail to gingerly pull the sharp metal bit out of her flank.

She pulled out some medical supplies from her jacket and mused. You simply don't do the things Meanie Pie did –which, besides the obvious, this included cutting her tongue by licking a knife trying to look cool all those times. - without learning how to diagnose and treat a wound. It was ironic that her "evil side" technically could save more lives as a surgeon than her "good side."

Phaedra seemed to have caught up to Pinkie by the time she finished. For such an awkward gait, that horse could move!

Pinkie ran into the tunnels, trying to get some time to further treat her wound. Sadly, Phaedra was stomping on the roof above, and Pinkie was blinded as a veil of dirt started to fall down on top of her.

Pinkie ran through the tunnels, yelping and screaming. It scarcely seemed to matter, the falling dirt and thunderous echoes followed her everywhere. Somehow, she stumbled across an exit to from the tunnel complex.

Panting, Pinkie took stock of her surroundings. She seemed to have returned to the mountainside that had the land bridge path which led back the way she came, out of the Grave fields.

And then Pinkie saw something worrisome.

_Oh no._

Across the small canyon, near the Entrance to the fields, were two young fillies. One yellow, one orange.

_I thought they were going to stay out of…wait…what are they wearing?_

Scootaloo and Apple Bloom were standing on their hind legs, something that looked like grass skirts strapped around their waists. In their fore hooves, they held…was that monkey grass?

And then, the dancing started. They waved their clumps of monkey grass around like pompoms, and danced around in a(n almost) synchronized fashion.

"_GO, GO, PINKIE PIE! MAKE 'EM FROWN, MAKE 'EM CRY! COUNT TO FOUR, COUNT TO FIVE, EAT 'EM ALIVE, EAT 'EM ALIVE! GOOOOOO, PINKIE PIE!"_

Words failed Pinkie Pie. Although for some small part of her _squee'd_.

"Hey, Apple Bloom, you've got it backwards. You're supposed to be stepping out with the other leg. Can't you remember your own choreography?"

"Oh. Ah know, I just thought it looked ….prettier this way." Apple Bloom said.

"It did. Pretty stupid." Scootaloo retorted.

"You-" Apple Bloom started a reply, but their argument was interrupted by Pinkie Pie.

"Girls! Get away from here, now! I told you I don't want you anywhere near me when I'm fighting!"

"Aw, but Miss Pinkamena…we just want to cheer you own while you fight the giant zombie pony!"

"And maybe we'll get cheerleading cutie marks!" Apple Bloom turned to look at her flank. "Anything yet?"

"Nope."

_Mental note: Be even__ more__ thankful neither Apple Bloom nor Scootaloo got a "torturing ponies" or "hiding evidence" cutie mark… _Pinkie thought. "Look, girls, this really is too dangerous…"

"Hey, Pinkie?" Apple Bloom asked. "Why don't ya try to run to the other side of a tunnel and lure it to the other side as yer run through tunnel and therefore come out behind it while its doing that crouching thing its doing?"

"…..wait, it crouches?"

* * *

><p>Where did she go?<p>

No, seriously, where did she go?

Phaedra had stopped around, looking for the small intruder that dared to defile its holy grounds.

She had retreated around this hill and then, Phaedra immediately rose on top of the entrance and couldn't find her. It would stomp and bring the Rage of the Earth just the same, but it couldn't find the tiny pony anywhere.

The other intruders seemed to have retreated. Maybe she did too as well…

"Hi!" Pinkie said cheerfully from atop Phaedra's head. "Guess what I found?"

If Phaedra could speak, it exact words would have been: "But…..how? Just, how?"

And somehow, Phaedra felt it had been played for a fool.

Phaedra, in its shock, completely failed to start shaking Pinkie off. A lamentable mistake.

**STAB. **_Hiisssss…_

And so, Phaedra, the Pincer Horse, Aspect of the Plains and Manifestation of Remorse, was slain.

"Girls, I told you not to follow me!" Pinkie turned her attention to the fillies.

"Aw, but Miss Pinkamena, you're just so wonderfully awesome to watch.

"But aren't you at least worried that it might get scary? Or traumaAAAAAAaaaaaahhhh!…"

And the swordsmare collapsed in a pile of pink fur and black smoke as the ribbons entered her.

The fillies looked at Pinkie's unmoving body as it lay on the ground once more.

"A mite, maybe." Apple Bloom confessed.

* * *

><p>As Pinkie lay with a group of shades hovering over her, this time, a maneless, tailless pony joining them, the fourth idol, which was the second to the left, crumbled. It was next to Quadratus' idol, which had been the first to the left. Valus and Gaius' idols lay in ruins in the first and second to the right, respectively. One might have picked up a pattern by now…<p>

Rising to her hooves, Pinkie walked over to the altar to examine Rainbow once more.

She didn't dare touch Dash, as she still looked emaciated and her wings were still severed, but…

The suspension web had been removed from Dash's chest.

Somehow, it seemed appropriate after her victory over Phaedra.

And then, a hiss alerted her to the presence of the Dormin. "Thy next foe casts a colossal shadow across a misty lake... As it soars through the sky... To reach it is no easy task."

Pinkie heard small hooves clopping into the temple as she rose to her feet.

Apple Bloom and Scootaloo galloped in with an assortment of roots, leaves, and other things on their backs.

"Ah brought this for you, Pinkie!"

"Apple Bloom, we both got this stuff! Actually, I got most of it because you can't fly! –"

"-Quit trying to one up me!" both fillies harmonized.

"Girls…am I going to have to put you into time out?" Pinkie warned. Although she also giggled. "Wait, is that…fruit?"

"Y-yes…" Apple Bloom said nervously.

It was an elongated, greenish thing. Color like a pear but large like a melon. Pinkie looked at it with evil eyes that gleamed with both intense disgust and maddening desire.

"Miss Pinkamena…you can't just keep running from everything sweet. I don't really understand everything that's gotten into you, but….its not like there's anything in it…and…me and Apple Bloom thought it tasted really good…really, just try it."

"Yes, Pinkie…it made me feel better after ya died the first time after killing Mr. Giggles." Apple Bloom said.

"Well…"

_Takeittakeittakeit…we just killed a pony, that means sweetsssss NO-STOP-THINKING-LIKE-THAT-IT-CREEPS-ME-OUT! Whatever. Take it nowww NO! yes. NO! yes. NO! yes._

Pinkie's eyes were going from green to orange to left being green and right being orange and vice versa. They were a little reminiscent of a neon sign…

"NO! Yes. NO! Yes-" Pinkie swayed back and forth as she voiced her indecision.

"Miss Pinkamena? …" Scootaloo asked nervously, backing away slightly. "We're sorry for bothering you…we'll just leave all this food here. You should try the leaves, they're a little bland but not too bad…kind of wish we had some salt or something…we think we'll just explore the area for a while now…."

"Yeah…me too."

And the two foals left the temple as Pinkie continued to argue with herself. "NO! Yes. NO! Yes."

"**_CHAMPION!"_** Spoke the Dormin.

"AH!" Pinkie rose on her hind legs and kept rising until she feel backwards. Picking herself off the floor, she responded "Oh, y-yes, Dormin?"

"Cease this foolishness. Thy squires have already left." Spoke the Dormin. "The fruit has been blessed. Though I am gone, the power of life lives on in the land, and that power manifests in its bounty. Furthermore, it is foolish to continue to ignore thy hunger…."

"Well…I guess I shouldn't let it go bad…" Pinkie took a bit of the leaves and roots and other plants the fillies had brought. They weren't anything special…

Tentatively, Pinkie moved her head closer to the fruit…..and nibbled it.

_Oh my Celestia, Luna, Discord, and Sweet Zombie Mother of Dormin on a pogo stick…THIS IS THE BEST THING EVER!_ It wasn't just sweet, it was juicy and rich and she felt her entire body waking up and she wanted MORE. Pinkie ravenously took more bites. She felt sorry they only brought two, but it was surprisingly filling as well, so she at least wouldn't starve.

"…Thy next foe casts a colossal shadow across a misty lake. As it soars through the sky, to reach it is no easy task."

Pinkie looked at the Beak-faced idol that was next in the order.

"Avion…." Pinkie contemplated how she was going to bring down a flying colossus.

She had a grappling hook, suction cup bracelets for use with climbing sheer rock surfaces that helped her sneak into Canterlot's vault as well as up Valus' mountain, a small watertight medical kit, lots of knives, and throwable caltops. But…there was no real long-range projectiles to speak of.

Pinkie took another bite of that wonderful fruit, completely oblivious to the wound in her flank slowly healing under her bandages…

_Oh well…how bad could it be?_

* * *

><p>"This is going to suck <em>popsicles<em>!"

That's what Pinkie had said when she first saw Avion's imposing form soar above her from the sunken castle's battlements. She had been right, but not for the reason she thought she was going to be. Death did not come from above as she swam through the freezing waters, nor when she climbed unto dry land and shook herself to get dry. Nor when she started outright tempting it because staring at the giant bird through the fog was boring her to death.

Feeling inspired by the mist shrouding the lake, Pinkie suddenly recalled her ability to walk on mist. Only her light side actually used mist walking back in the grove, and she hadn't even cloud walked ever since….well, she hadn't had a reason to cloud walk for months now. She was out of practice….and the fog back in Shadow Ponyville had been thicker… Still, she tested a hoof experimentally….and found that there was far more air than water, and she couldn't use it. The mist was too thick on top to reflect light off the sword but too thin near the lake's surface to mist walk.

"STOP IGNORING ME! HEEEEEEYYYY!" Pinkie waved her hooves in the air, trying to signal the bird down to her. She whistled, insulted, sang songs, and even climbing its perch with her suction cups. The water made a better seal on the cups, but that just made her retreat hard to accomplish when Avion causually started whipping the pillar with its long, long tail. Pinkie fell back into the chilly waters, and Avion cawed scornfully.

"**_You're dorking up the skies, Stinky Pie!"_** Pinkie thought she heard Gilda speak as she fell. **_"Make like a bee, and buzz off!"_**

Pinkie gasped and sputtered. She was confused by the voices in her head, but now wasn't the time to deal with them. She had to get out of the wind. Her jacket was soaked and freezing.

"Miss Pinkamena!" Scootaloo's voice rang out. "Are you alright?" The small pegasus fluttered above her.

"Scoot? I thought you were with Apple Bloom." Pinkie asked as she swam back over towards a tower that would protect her from

"We split up to explore the area. I thought this castle was completely awesome, and if they don't have any flyers, we could ambush them here…"

Pinkie blinked. _Oh right. They are coming. I can't imagine how I forgot. Other than the twelve remaining Colossi I have to conquer before they get here. Still…there's not a lot we can do to fight off an army. If they get her before I defeat the last one, we screwed no matter what happens. And afterwards…well, hopefully Dormin will take care of them. So really…I just need to finish the Colossi. The fillies can just keep finding food for…_

_Hey. I just got an idea. …But, I have to be sure Scootaloo understands me perfectly._

"Scootaloo. I'm about to ask you to do something very, very dangerous."

Scootaloo perked up and wore an enthusiastically dopey grin on her face. "I'm all ears!" she said in her tomboyish voice. But then she switched back to her sweet voice "…Miss Pinkamena, maam."

_And my misgivings about this plan just triplified._

"Listen Scootaloo…I can't beat this Colossus. It won't come down, and it's being a really rude meanie. I'm not too sure what's going to happen once I get it off its tail feathers, but I'm definitely not going to get anywhere just letting it sit here.

Can you fly up to its tail? I actually just need you to fly up high enough to toss these Caltops into it's tail. Do NOT get behind the tail or otherwise on the same level of it. It can whip that thing around."

"Yeah! Sure I can. I mean…that tail hangs down a long way."

"You sure? You seemed to have trouble carrying Apple Bloom."

"I'll be fine. I can stay up in the air a long time nowadays…just as long as I'm not carrying Apple Bloom."

"I'm also…less okay with giving you sharp objects to handle than before."

"I'll be fine, Miss Pinkamena. Come on, you've trained me to drain blood with sharper objects than this. I'm not a little girl anymore."

"Your mom says otherwise. Frequently." Pinkie said to Dizzy Twister's only child.

Scootaloo looked away for one moment, but grabbed the hook with her hoof. Pinkie held on, and said "As soon as you do this, stay close to the pillar, and drop down. Do not get let it chase you in the open." She stared into Scootaloo's eyes for a moment…and let go.

As Scootaloo took off, Pinkie retrieved her knives and hopped back on the center pedestal.

She whistled to gain Avion's attention once more. "Hey, birdie! I'm yelling at you!"

Avion raised its beak up at Pinkie, and then suddenly shrieked. It turned its head all the way around, but Scootaloo was already free-falling back down to get away from the bird. Scoot flapped her wings to slow down her fall and she resumed hovering before she hit the water.

"Good girl, Scootaloo. Miss Pinkamena's so proud of you." She called out. Pinkie pointed at Avion and laughed cruelly. "AHAHAHAHAHA! OH MAN, You have no idea how hilarious that expression on your face was, you stupid bird! Hee hee hee…eehehehehee."

Avion had launched off its perch, heading straight for Pinkie Pie. And Pinkie felt a chill of ancestral terror as the large flying predator swooped towards her. And yet…there was only one thing to do now.

She jumped. Screaming as she went.

She was off, and adrenaline was flowing through her veins. She felt the wind flowing past her, the water in the air pelting her as Avion flew her across the lake. Pinkie had flown in the sky before, but never on the back of a giant bird. However, she couldn't just enjoy it forever. As Avion, leveled out its wings and started to glide, she made her move.

It turns out Avion didn't like being stabbed in the wing very much, and it spun in a barrel roll, leaving Pinkie to hold on the sword, still stuck in Avion's flesh, for dear life. Her knives were left abandoned as her hind hooves slipped off of them. Pinkie gritted her teeth felt her forelegs shaking under the strain, pleading for the bird to right itself.

Just then, Avion did have to right itself. It had been losing altitude and had to level off and flap. Pinkie pulled out the sword and grabbed her knives again, holding on to them as Avion flapped its wings, which tested her almost depleted strength a little more, but she had managed to retreat back to the less turbulent center part of the great bird….

With much fear and being rocked around, Pinkie made her way to the other wing. Pinkie raised her sword above her head, eyes glowing with fire, and with an angry scream, she thrust down the blow that she thought was sure the end it.

Pinkie was therefore completely surprised to find herself being thrown about as Avion swerved and barrel rolled once again. She cursed mightily as the bird flew upside down.

Pinkie barely survived that battle of endurance, her hooves were aching and she was confused.

_Arg! This is so stupid! I stabbed both its wings…I don't care if it has more "vitals" or not, it should at least crash land now! The head is made of stone! Where else could that last vital be, anyway?_

And the Pinkie looked at the tail.

The long, long, impossibly long tail.

_Aw, Horsefeathers._

_Fine. If that's the way you want to play it, I'm taking a shortcut._

Pinkie got out her grappling hook.

….

…

"AAIIIEE!" Pinkie screamed as she swung through the air. She grabbed the rope and began to pull herself in. Quickly, so as to avoid towers and other obstacles Avion flew much too close to.

Scootaloo saw the whole thing. As Avion flew around the lake, she saw a pink mare holding on for dear life even as she was dangling when the bird flew upside down. She would not let go, could not let go. Streams of black blood trailed behind the bird in clouds, and Pinkie eventually won.

And thus fell Avion the Earth Bat. Aspect of the Lake and Manifestation of Arrogance.

Scootaloo would never forget…the day she saw an Earth Pony fly. She really loved the giant splash Avion made. She did her little cheerleading dance.

Thinking fast, Pinkie sheathed the sword….and was immediately impaled by black streams.

Scootaloo, realizing what had happened and that Pinkie might drown, flew over as fast as she could, but Pinkie was lifted into the sky before she could get there.

* * *

><p>The Dormin had less useful information to say about this next Colossus. "A giant lurks beneath the temple. It lusts for destruction, but a fool, it is not." Seriously, what was that? It wasn't even anywhere NEAR the Shrine of Worship, so that was just misleading…<p>

Pinkie had wandered aimlessly through a large dark forest, found a fruit tree, bucked it, looked on with dismay as the fruit **… **fell over the cliff and into the lake, before she jumped off the cliff screeching **_"MINE!", _**found the lake was tragically shallow, ate the fruit to forget the pain that wracked her body, recovered from her fall inexplicably quickly, and used the light in this new area to lead her to a mountain with some catacombs…

And then she climbed down a large, large wall with footholds. She didn't need any special tools to climb down it, but once she did, several things happened at once.

"Hey, Pinkie!" a young voice said cheerfully. It was Apple Bloom and she wore what looked like one of Pinkie's destroyed saddle bags on her back, although it was only half full.

"Apple Bloom, what?"

A great rumbling killed further conversation, and the wall began to slide open.

"RUN! Go, go!" Pinkie exclaimed as the giant minotaur emerged from the wall.

Pinkie had thought that the room she was in was large and wide, but the appearance of Barba, the Great Beast, suddenly made everything feel claustrophobic. The roof was an imposition on everything. There was nothing that existed beyond Barba. No clouds, no rainbows, no sunshine, no sky. To make matters worse, the room was broken up by several barriers that the ponies would have to climb over to escape the giant.

Barba took the measure of the two intruders….and immediately went after Apple Bloom.

Bloom's ears went back and her eyes widened as the minotaur's giant blue stony hand reached out for her.

Apple Bloom shuttered, but suddenly held firm in place. _Ah can do this…Ah'm not going to run away anymore. Ah'm going to jump up and-_

"GET AWAY FROM HER, YOU LITERAL BULLY!" Pinkie shrieked as she jumped up and kicked the minotaur's hand away from her assistant with her hind legs.

_-Yeah, that._

"Pinkie, Ah was gonna-HEY!"

Realizing how little time she had to give, Pinkie bit Apple Bloom's mane and flung her over onto her back, and yelled "Not now, Bloomy! Hold on tight!"

She bounced on her hooves, all at once, hopping over one of the walls that, despite only coming up to the monster's knees, might slow the Colossus down.

It didn't. Barba shattered the barrier, like it was made of glass and was right behind the two of them.

Pinkie carried Apple Bloom across the second wall in this manner, as she did so, Apple Bloom told her to "Hurry! It's right behind us!"

The third wall was where everything went so wrong, it sucked popsicles.

Pinkie misjudged her jump and landed on the half-column on the side of the wall, instead of over the wall. She could _feel _Barba right behind them, and she bucked Apple Bloom off her back and over the wall.

"Oof!" Apple Bloom grunted as she landed, but she still looked up. Pinkie was pulling herself over the wall, and almost there, suddenly, Barba pulled her back!

"Pinkie!" Apple Bloom squeaked in alarm. She heard shrieking and stomping on the other side of the wall she couldn't see over. She was too low to the ground given her height, and the wall blocked everything except the very top of Barba's head. "Give her back! Give her back right now!"

Barba could've just smashed the pony with his fist, driving her into the wall, but then the little one would've skipped straight to the part where she cried and gave up. Like this, she was desperate and terrified for the bigger pony she couldn't see. Like this, he could hear her pleas and threats and make her suffer in tension and anxiety.

"Bloomy, I'm okay! Just run for cover!" Pinkie yelled while out of sight. And then Apple Bloom heard a yipe along with an earth shattering smash.

Recovering back to her hooves quickly, Pinkie saw that the wall leading to Apple Bloom was unguarded. She was wounded and tired, but was able to pull herself over the wall this time after gaining some distance from Barba. On this side of the wall was the end of room. Apple Bloom motioned for Pinkie to join her in a hallway that was carved into the wall, blocked off by columns. Pinkie ran and hid behind the column Apple Bloom retreated behind moments ago.

"Pinkie!" Apple Bloom hugged the Pink Mare. Then she saw her flank. "You're bleeding!"

"It's okay, Bloomy. It's just a scratch." The Swordspony reassured her squire. "But how about you?"

"Me? A-ah'm okay."

Suddenly, they heard a low growl coming from the other side of the column. Barba was crouching down, looking for them.

Pinkie held Apple Bloom close, and they both were silent. Pinkie carefully inched to look around the corner of the column.

Barba 's entire upper body was covered in white fur, its beady little eyes shone beneath its iron mask. From its face dangled a long, long beard. Hooves probably couldn't climb that, and it was impossible to ascend while dangling from her mouth. Alright, Pinkie just needed to get out her …other climbing hoofwear.

Oh wait.

"Aw, Horsesprinkles." Pinkie cursed.

"Huh? What's the matter?" Apple Bloom asked.

Pinkie had forgotten she was there. "I forgot that my clamps were in the saddlebags that were crushed by the first Colossus."

"Oh, ya mean these were yours?" Apple Bloom asked and retrieved a part of perfectly restored metal clamps from the saddlebag.

"Huuuuh? But how did- where did you- And Dashie calls me random- But- how- …WHAT!"

"Scootaloo found 'em in the mountains and brought them down to me and Ah fixed 'em." Apple Bloom said matter-of-factly. "Ah used them climb down that wall with all the handles on it."

Suddenly an earth-shattering noise heralded the coming of rock debris crashing in between the columns. Apple Bloom screamed but Pinkie protected her.

"Stay here, Bloomy. I'm borrowing these." Pinkie said as she took the clamps.

In his zealotry to watch the ponies' every move, Barba had lowered himself to the point where his long beard was almost brushing the ground. Not only that, but he had placed one hand on his knee and another one down on the ground, leaving him completely unable to attack as Pinkie Pie leapt into his beard once more.

The serrated clamps yanked at thicker bunches of hair than her hooves did, and together, they did support her weight.

As adrenaline overrode her fatigue, and despite the bullheaded biped's best attempts to buck her off, he could not stand up to repeated stabs to his vitals, and his black essence was released.

And so fell Barba, the Great Beast. Aspect of the Underground. Manifestation of Heartlessness.

Pinkie stood on the ground once more as Barba's body became shrouded in darkness. She knew what was coming. It was just part of the show at this point. However, she had a feeling that they weren't entirely good for her.

"Bloomy, you saved the day, but you really shouldn't look when-APPLE BLOOM, NO! GET BACK!"

It was too late. Apple Bloom was holding Pinkie tightly, putting her in the way of the black tendrils…

"BLOOMY!" Pinkie shrieked.

The ribbons sliced into her, silencing her voice and squirming around insider her bother like one enormous worm that was trying to squeeze itself into every corner of her body. She felt cold and she couldn't breathe and….and…

And Apple Bloom was left completely unscathed. The black tendrils wrapped around her body. And not a one entered into her.

Pinkie landed while exhaling some smoke with a gasp that sounded almost like "ha."

Apple Bloom sniffed. "Ah just wanted to make up for…everything." Pinkie Pie wasn't listening at this point. Apple Bloom sat in silence for a while, until Pinkie's body vanished into a pillar of light that shone through the roof itself.

* * *

><p><em>Dash lay on the altar, complete and beautiful. A gentle wind blew through the temple, and Rainbow's chest heaved. Slowly, gently, sat up. She turned to Pinkie and…<em>

_Suddenly, something pulled Pinkie away._

* * *

><p>Pinkie had been lying on the floor of the temple, now with a Griffon and a Bull's shadow, when Barba's idol exploded. The pony was starting to break out in strange, sickly black splotches all over her body. They were on her skin, but they showed through her coat.<p>

Pinkie Pie awoke.

"Ugh…Apple Bloom. Why'd you go and scare me like that? Ugh…should I stay and talk to her? But then again, I don't have time and I'm not sure I should let either of the fillies follow me if Apple Bloom was so traumatized. But she is traumatized now so that means I really really should-" Pinkie stopped as she took a second glance over her body.

The black splotches had spread. They were obvious even if she wore her jacket now. Whatever was happening to her was getting worse. And she had a feeling that it would spread as she defeated more Colossi. Despite their help, Pinkie couldn't let the fillies see her like this.

After the nausea and disorientation wore off, she felt compelled to observe Rainbow Dash, her reason for doing this, once more.

Pinkie wept at what she saw.

_Dashie's wings! Dashie's flank! She's…perfect…_

Pinkie placed her blacked hoof on the altar to stroke her beloved…

She wasn't stupid. Dormin had said there would be a price and she could tell something was happening to her as she absorbed the black ribbons into her being.

But…she didn't care about the consequences. She could see they were worth it. If Dashie wanted to eat her, fair was fair. And if she needed to eat Pinkie to get better, Pinkie wouldn't take no for answer. No really, she would literally pry open Dashie's jaw and …..

Just then, Pinkie felt considerably hotter. Her Sweetie side started blushing until she became Reddie Pie and her Meanie side was rolling on the ground groaning "Oh Shadestia….I've got such a lady boner right now."

_Will all the constituent personalities of my mind please GET YOURS' OUT OF THE GUTTER? I don't even know what caused this, I swear. Stupid confusing hormones…_

Just then, the Dormin spoke.

"Thy next destination... A ruin hidden in the lake... A ripple of thunder lurks underwater."

"Um, did you say…_thunder_?" Pinkie shuddered as she recalled troubling memories...

* * *

><p>Scootaloo buzzed around happily.<p>

"So, there I was, sneaking up on that big, stupid, bird, it was flapping its tail around, as Miss Pinkamena distracted it…."

"Uh huh." Apple Bloom said in a bored tone. She found a trail of ants traveling along the ground and was carefully squishing each and every one in the line with a hammer. She wasn't positive if Pinkie allowed her to do this sort of thing, but she needed to do something to get through Scootaloo's story.

"…CAAAAWW!" Scootaloo screamed at the top of her lungs.

"Ah! Landsakes, Scootaloo, there's no need to transform into a killer chicken on me!" Apple Bloom grumbled as she walked over to retrieve the hammer she had just thrown.

"I'm not a chicken, Apple Bloom, as you would know if you paid any attention to the fact that I'm telling you how I heroically helped Miss Pinkamena take down a giant bird. So, where was I? Oh right! 'CAAAAW!' it cried out! I nailed it, right in the tail, and I even go it to spurt some of that black stuff. It was so awesome!"

"So, Ah imagine ya had to outrun it then? Or outfly?" Apple Bloom said smugly.

"Uh…yes! Yes, in fact I did! And then I lead it straight to Miss Pinkamena and she leapt onto it and the two of us brought that Colossus down!" Scootaloo felt the need to embellish her story…

"You did not, ya liar. Now, AH, on the other hoof, helped repair Pinkie's climbing clamps, and with them, she took down a giant bearded monkey thing that moo'd!" Apple Bloom stood on her hind legs and stretched her hooves up in the air to show how big Barba was. …She didn't really come up to his ankles.

"A bearded monkey thing that _what_? That thing you described doesn't even sound real. Seriously, all the Colossi I'VE seen are just an Ox, a Pony, and a Bird. All ginormous, but perfectly normal creatures. You probably just fainted again like you did when you saw that goofy big brown thing and Miss Pinkamena had to carry you to safety."

"Ah did not! Ah was just…standing mah ground! And it wasn't goofy at all, it was all black and had red eyes and …and YOU ran away, ya chicken!"

"I was following Miss Pinkamena's orders! She told us to run and so I did! You're the useless one who Pinkamena had to take care off! As usual."

"Ah have been plenty useful to Pinkie!" Apple Bloom yelled. "Ah got her food like she asked!"

"Oh yeah…there's those leaves and fruit…oh wait that was me, the one who can actually reach those things. You just dug up all those icky roots I'm not even sure are edible. Hey! Maybe if Miss Pinkamena gets a taste for earthworms, she'll know the pony to call!" Scootaloo laughed.

"Ah've been helping her far longer than you have! And things were great before you came along!" Apple Bloom sneered.

"Oh really? Is that why you TRIED TO BURN HER ALIVE!" Scootaloo snarled.

"Ah thought we were past that. Pinkie told you never to bring that up again." Apple Bloom said slowly. Dangerously.

"Oh, yes. But I know her reasoning for that. She feels sorry for you, Bloom. She's had to keep you inside all that time so you don't get discovered. Or run back. And now, she wants to try to set everything back the way it used to be…Of course she's going to forgive you. And then you got kidnapped and had to be rescued by me. Not that you ever appreciate anything I do."

"You didn't save me…Ah got out of that mahself!"

"Oh? Then get yourself out of this!" Scootaloo said, launching herself towards Apple Bloom and snatching her up in her hooves as she flew upwards…

"Scootaloo! Let go of me, chicken girl!" Apple Bloom struggled.

"Well, I'm not going to listen to you like that! Maybe if you asked politely…" Scootaloo switched to her cute voice. "Please, Miss Scootaloo, put me down. I'm ever so sorry about all the chicken jokes, I really ran that gag into…the…ground…." Scootaloo's voice became uneven as she looked at Apple Bloom's expression.

"Never." Apple Bloom said with finality.

"Apple Bloom, why are you reaching into your bag-WHAT IS THAT! YOU'RE CRAZY! WE'LL BOTH FALL!" Scootaloo shrieked.

"LAND. NOW." Apple Bloom commanded.

"You madpony! I wasn't going to do anything horrible to you, just take you up a garden I found atop the temple where you couldn't get down! There is no reason for you to-"

"NOW!"

"Alright! Just stop. Ow. Ow. Owowowow! Apple Bloom, stop! WE'RE FALLING!"

Crash.

Scootaloo heard giggling nearby. She didn't find this funny at all.

"APPLE BLOOM!" Scootaloo roared as she rose to her hooves.

"CHICKEN GIRRRRLLL!"

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, Pinkie was now coping with the tenth Colossus. Her earlier victories had all been using electricity. She should've been relieved. She wasn't. She felt a chill the very second she heard the clue:<p>

_"Thy next destination... An isolated sand dune... It's tracks are well hidden... Shaking the earth, it's gaze is upon thee."_

_Pinkie said the name like a curse. "Dirge."_

_And then, Pinkie could swear she heard the most eerie giggle…_

Dirge was one of the lesser deities Pinkie had also bothered remembering. It represented Dormin's hunger and desire to win. Without the other aspects, it was as a mindless beast. In the old days, the natives of the forbidden land made sacrifices to this aspect to appease it. It was also a harbinger of the underworld. A death god.

Her books happened to have a lot to say about Dirge. And everything said reminded her of herself. And not in a good way.

No, not even her last three victories would be truly dangerous compared to this one. No matter how much electricity they tried to pump into her body.

Hydrus, the Coiling Serpent, Aspect of the Depths and Manifestation of Caution, had electric spines that sparked with lightning whenever they touched the water. Pinkie's battle with it had been something of a battle of wits as she had to stab the sigil behind each spine before they submerged again. Pinkie's clamps were getting a lot of use out of them, holding onto the sea serpent's….hair? ….folia?

Pinkie already knew what it was like to be electrocuted, from Sweetie Pie's first "death" in the grove, but this was the first time she had to willingly be electrocuted as she held on to her one anchor to the Colossus, a metal sword submerged in water.

She couldn't, would not let go…not after how much she had used electrocution against Rainbow Dash and the other ponies…if the Colossi were going to start using electrocution against her, that was surely also her punishment….

Kuromori, the Wall Shadow of the Forest and Manifestation of Trickery was a large black monitor lizard with a back that was armored with stone plates that glowed with eerie bristles. It had also employed electricity, although it shot projectiles at Pinkie instead of merely covering its body with electrical fields. Projectiles that left a cloud of electrified _gas _of all things. It was awfully small for a Colossus, but it was easily the most deadly thus far. Kuromori stomped along the wall, blasting anything pink in its sights….

Pinkie would run for one of the openings in the Coliseum wall, trying to get in close enough range to try using one of her tools on it…but Kuromori had begun to counter her moves by standing on the side opposite her and shelling her with electric blasts. Pinkie would run over to an opening or window close to where Kuromori was a moment ago…but the Colossus would be laying in wait for her and ambush her, usually from a blind spot above Pinkie.

Sadly for Kuro, this is how she wanted it. And she ambushed him from above by joining him on the wall with her suction bracelets. She threw Caltops with her tail into Kuromori's legs and as the Monitor lizard fell, Pinkie leapt off the wall, holding her sword in her mouth, and positioned it down towards Kuromori's belly as she fell.

Pinkie might've had a little too much fun with that one.

Basaran, the Storm Echo of the Ash lands and Manifestation of Destruction, was a full-on artillery machine in tortoise form. It was imposing and made Pinkie run around perhaps more than she ever had in her life as it shot explosive bullets of lightning at her. Pinkie eventually caught it over a Geyser, which lifted the Colossus off the ground, and it almost fell over if not for two stubborn fleshy looking tendons in the two legs that were still on the ground, which Pinkie promptly slashed and forced the Colossus to be tilted over.

One climb up its fuzzy belly, and a rocky tortoise ride later, Basaran's head had a passenger it was desperate to get rid of. It didn't.

….

Pinkie had come so far. So why did this cave frighten her so much?

"Gulp. It's okay, Pinkie. Dirge is just-"

Another giggle sailed in from seemingly nowhere.

_Okay…that's getting unnerving. What was with me hearing Dashie's and Gilda's voices before, anyway?_

Just then, she heard a strange, musical sound. And then a bat swooped past her.

"AH! BATS! BATS ON MY FACE! HELLLLP!" Pinkie ran blindly into the sandy inner sanctum of the cave, and stomped in place.

Pinkie suddenly stopped herself when she remembered her situation. "Oh wait."

Too late.

A sheet of sand and earth was kicked into the air as the ground rumbled. A great mass of stone and brown hair emerged and burrowed around the cave. Pinkie tried to get a good look at the Colossus to make out its form, when suddenly…she realized it was coming straight for her.

_Uh oh…_

Pinkie turned and ran for dear life as Dirge followed her closely. Pinkie's heart raced and she thought she could hear that horrible giggling again.

It was in _her_ voice.

Pinkie looked back at Dirge, its fiery eyes loomed as it trailed right behind her. And she knew what was going to happen next.

Time seemed to stop.

Her own voice rang out, dripping with malice:

"**_Now…you take a nap."_**

Time resumed and Dirge vanished beneath the sand.

Wasting no time, Pinkie swerved out of the way and galloped at full speed looking behind her as a the landshark leapt out of the sand, and opened its mouth by splitting apart its horrible mandibles.

The inside of its mouth was glowing…it wasn't a pretty light. It was a bright void that she knew she would never escape from if it swallowed her.

Dirge crashed and kicked up a wave of sand, partially burying Pinkie Pie under it.

Pinkie coughed repeatedly. "Ugh….what, is it gone already? How am I supposed to slay it if it always retreats underground?"

She had handled fliers.

She had handled swimmers.

She had handled wall crawlers.

She had handled giant Dragon turtles that abjectly REFUSED to stand over the geyser when she was trying to lure them there while they shot thunderbolts at her.

But now…she had no idea how to deal with a burrowing colossus. And what was worse was that she was apparently going even crazier…than….usual…

Pinkie's eyes grew wide

A ripple of sand and dust clouds, indicating Dirge's presence, sped towards her. Along with it, there hopped a pink earth pony that had a very familiar poofy mane.

"**_First I played with myself, now I get to play with myself-myself!"_**

Pinkie stood in shock, but then glared at the pony.

"I'm not afraid of you; you're just a figment of my imagination, like the others…"

"**_Aw…but you're worried that you're going to die here, aren't you? You're going to be gobbled up by a hunger that's as terrifying as yours! Why not just give in? You'll never have to worry about hurting your friends this time. You know, like last time you gave up, Sweetie Pie!"_**

Pinkie had started running already. The illusionary Pinkie continued to follow her, clipping through Dirge's head as the Colossus followed the tangible and tasty-looking earth pony.

Pinkie looked into those eyes that followed her. She dropped a Caltrop behind her, and watched as it was knocked aside and failed to go into Dirge's eye. She frowned, gritting her teeth.

"Ugh! Its like I'm supposed to have some kind of projectile marksman riding on my back to shoot this thing in the eye!" Pinkie groaned.

"**_You're not being a very responsible big sister, Meanie Pie. Well, you are, doing all the work and killing all the Colossi that Sweetie Pie would be too much of a scaredypony to actually slay any of the Colossi herself…but you should've stopped her from feeling guilty like before! You should've protected her from Pinkamena! And now you're both all sad and mopey and down in the dumps! You've let Pinkamena win!"_**

"What…?"

* * *

><p>When Shadamena took over Pinkie in the Darkest Grove, she ran into….an old enemy of hers. It actually helped fool the other ponies, but only because it was actually tearing her up. A horrible demon devoid of any brightness or color.<p>

It wasn't assaulting her with guilt or moral dilemmas or even bothered to entertain the idea that she valued the other ponies' lives…no, she went began to attack Shadamena's very existence itself.

"**_Oh joy, it's the OTHER one. I remember our argument after Pinkie's first party. Well, it might not be SO bad, you'll probably be caught in the first week, so maybe you'll DIE pretty soon. Or maybe you'll be more tolerable when you've been imprisoned for a year and calmed down a bit. Whichever happens, I don't have to put up with the NOISE anymore. Oh, you think I'm scared of you just because you're the conclusion of all that saccharine, always-happy bullshit 'Pinkie Pie' does?"_**

"**_Well, maybe at least you'll stop trying to 'make ponies happy' ALLLL the time…"_** Pinkamena said those last three words in a voice that dripped with sarcasm and disgust.

"**_Hey, let me tell you something. You aren't cool just because you're evil. You aren't. When you're not cutting them up, all the ponies will be laughing at you. Nopony really liked any of Pinkie's parties, and they won't like yours. They'll just do it out of pity and because they need a good laugh! You aren't popular, you aren't funny, you aren't even really scary when somepony takes thirty seconds to think about it, you're _****_nothing_****_. What's that? You think you'll have the last laugh when you torture them?"_**

Pinkamena's features contorted into the most uncomfortable-looking smile Shadamena had ever seen. A slow, rumbling breath rose from Pinkamena's chest and gradually the cruelest laughter she had ever heard, putting even her own to shame rolled from out of the other pony's mouth.

" …**_hehehehee…ah..heheehehe AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! What, you really- hee hee- you really don't know why I'm laughing? Oh stars above, that's hilarious in of itself! I take it back, you ARE actually funny. Hahaha…aha…give me a minute, I'll tell you it all in FULL detail. Ah…I guess the best place to start is that everyone knows Pinkie is crazy, and so you'll fit in just fine. But everypony only bothers spending time with her because they get a kick out of living dangerously. _**

**_They know you're coming, but the hilarity of the situation will hit them when they realize that you –YOU- think you outsmarted them when they knew they were taking a chance with each and every cupcake you fed them. So they'll laugh. It will sound like panicky, stressed out, full-blown mental breakdown laughter, but it's because you're so adorably stupid thinking how smart you are. Of course some, even some of those who laughed, with cry and plead as you would expect, but guess what? _**

**_They only do it because they think you're stupid! Why, yes they do. They think you actually don't understand things like life and death and criminal offenses, and that they just have to beg enough and you'll totally let them go! And they're right! You ARE stupid! Whether you do sappy stupid things, or completely crazy stupid things! You're still stupid and everypony can see it. You ought to just quit and go back to the rock farm right now! At least there ponies will finally take you seriously again. And I'll be rid of the NOISE…"_**

"SHUT UP! Shut up…I am going to have fun." Shadamena glared back at the other, _other_ Pinkie "And you can't stop me."

Meanie Pie beat back the embodiment of Pinkie's self-loathing, but always felt a little disquieted whenever she was alone. Which was all the time after…well, after certain things happened.

When the destructive fight between Light and Shadow began in Pinkie's mind, Pinkamena smiled.

* * *

><p>"<strong><em>That's right! Pinkamena! And now, she's back and getting to you! She ran out of material for you, but now that you two have joined as one, she can just attack you through Sweetie Pie's conscience, now!" <em>**Mirage-Pie giggled.

"I am Sweetie Pie. I am…All of me." Pinkie grunted as she ran.

"**_Wrong! There is no Sweetie Pie! There never was! There's just me, your happiness, your ability to not care about anything but having fun and playing the best games with other ponies! And Pinkamena, who wants you to be all mopey and drown in depression! You started closer to that Pinkie, but when you started to have visions of the other fun games you could play, you tried that for a while until Pinkamena finally got you. You don't have a conscious, this 'guilt' of yours is just self-loathing!"_**

"You're wrong! I'm only sad because I can see the full picture now! I am more than you ever were!"

Mirage Pie was lounging on top of Dirge's head now. **_"Oh, you are more alright. Did I ever tell you…how ADORABLE it is that you keep switching between which Pinkie you are? When you want to run away, you just tell yourself that you're Meanie Pie and you have no right to and you're vicious enough to bring down a few monsters that are less terrible than you are. But when you fantasize about being with Dashie or any of your friends again, you turn around and go all 'oh Dashie, it's me, I'm in control again. I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry! I promise I'll never let her hurt you again.' Or even 'ew! Sweets! I can't eat sugar anymore!'" _**Mirage Pie said in a mocking tone before giggling.**_ "And of course, lets not forget how you froze up and failed to kill that guard back in Canterlot, despite the fact that if you just shut up and killed him, you might not have had to escape so frantically. Oh! Down I go! Watch out for that wall…."_**

Dirge sank beneath the sand and Pinkie yanked her head back to look straight ahead only to see a wall she was about to run into.

Pinkie threw herself to the side, rolling away when she hit the ground. Dirge erupted out of the ground.

Dirge, returned to the sand, empty-handed. Mirage Pie also vanished, but Pinkie heard a ghostly giggle echo on the air from every direction at once.

Pinkie breathed heavily and tried to calm down. _Alright…I still have no idea what her deal is, but this conversation has passed the point of usefulness. I've been exposed to/dished out too much psychological warfare to fall to this crap._

"**_Dashie won't take you back. Not after she finds out what you did to Scootaloo. Oh! And back on the subject of the guard. You did mess up. If the fillies didn't find that scabbard for you, somepony else might've found it and you'd been banished to the moon by now."_**

_See? Right on schedule. Focus on the important thing. The sooner I figure out how to kill Dirge, the sooner I can shut her up. _

"**_Of course, you're really a hypocrite. You're soft-headed with other ponies but you're brutally murdering these Colossi. Without any remorse. Just like me. You haven't changed."_**

_Don't listen to her. Focus on Dirge._

"**_Dash won't take you back. Because you're still a monster. Seriously, how do you justify these actions to yourself? After Quadratus even showed mercy on poor little Bloomy back there, too…"_**

Another Mirage Pie was hopping over to Pinkie, sand and dirt being kicked up as she came.

"Of course it would. It cannot do anything other than spare a noncombatant. It immediately attacked me once she was out of the way. It probably didn't know she was a child, she just was trembling….or maybe it was just that she didn't have the sword."

"**_You don't know that. Not that you'll try. You're self-righteous, but you are hiding so many obvious things from yourself. You don't even know if freeing Dormin will destroy the world or not." _**Dirgey Pie giggled as Dirge's head broke the sand once more.

Pinkie grunted. "You're full of lies!"

"**_Why not try surrendering then? I'm sure it will be dangerous, but if you don't try to do something surprising, you'll never know if they are capable of thinking for themselves…Didn't you think that they might be able to revive Dashie for you?"_**

"Wha...?"

"**_They can."_**

Dirge's eyes could be seen. They stared into Pinkie's soul. Pinkie sweated, but didn't run away.

_Alright then…_

Pinkie's eyes glowed green.

She drew the sword…and threw it away, far from her reach.

Behind her, she threw away her caltrops…and stepped towards Dirge.

"**_Um…okay, what are you doing?"_**

Pinkie smiled. And yelled words that made Dirgey Pie's eyes widen in shock.

Dirge was closing in

The little pony clutched the scabbard.

Meanwhile, Dirge hungrily advanced. The strange little meat creature had been making noises to herself all this while. It was doing something else now…making different noises and looking at Dirge itself. It was waving its hindquarters back and forth. Was it..offering itself up to the Colossus? But…this revelation only made it salivate in victory.

It leapt into the air….opening its mandibles wide while the little creature yelled one final word…

Dirge hit the ground, and immediately screeched in pain.

There was a terrible pain in its eyes now, which hadn't been there before.

Pinkie appeared, laying next to the sword, which was now re-sheathed with the scabbard she was holding. Pinkie immediately rose to her hooves, giggling.

* * *

><p>Earlier:<p>

Pinkie lay down in front of a wide arc of caltrops, located roughly where Dirge's eyes would be if Pinkie stood where the beasts' mouth would be.

Pinkie called out "HEY DIRGE! I'VE BOOBY TRAPPED THIS AREA! WHATEVER YOU DO, DON'T LEAP AT ME AND TRY TO EAT ME OR YOU'LL GET POINTY THINGS IN YOUR EYES!"

Pinkie turned around, then looked over her shoulder _"No really…"_ Pinkie continued in a seductive voice, and started waggling her plot in a provocative manner. _"Don't fall to temptation, you bad, bad, boy. You'll be punished. No matter how delicious I look...you'll be cut up allll over your face."_

Her bravado started to fade as Dirge vanished beneath the sand and much too quickly was already leaping towards her, mouth open wide.

_The two must be as one, less the seal weaken. Should they ever be separated, speak the word, and Return._

"R-RETURN!" Pinkie squeaked, her ears flattening. Hoping she hadn't made a terrible mistake.

* * *

><p>"It worked! It worked!"<p>

"**_Arg! Get up, you stupid sandfish! Grr…" _**Dirgey Pie stood on top of the now writhing form of Dirge as it squirmed in pain from having crashed face-first into the wall with pointy things in its eyes.

"Hehehehehe…" Pinkie giggled as she hopped over the Land shark. "Sorry, but I did my homework long before I started. The Colossi are just pieces of Dormin run amok. Dirge isn't just a Voracious creature, it IS voracity. It cannot be bargained with, or even reasoned with. It might still be alive on some level, but quite frankly, both it and you remind me of everything I hate about myself."

"**_So you admit you're going to kill yourself if you kill Dirge! If you can't have mercy for him, then what chances are there for Dashie to ever even like you again? Your quest for redemption is hopeless! Think about the implications of what you're doing!" _**Dirgey Pie begged.

"…..Neigh." Pinkie said as she rose the sword above her head as she stood on Dirge's back where an enormous sigil rested. She stabbed, causing Dirge to squeal in pain. As the Black Blood rose, Dirgey Pie became translucent and ghost-like.

"**_You can't torture a pony and then have them hug you and kiss you and tell you they love you! Of course your Sweetie side is going to tell you she's okay to die, Pinkamena's got her and she's the part Dashie likes anyway. But what about Meanie Pie? What does she get out of this? Does she really expect Dashie to forgive her? HER? Rainbow Dash will never want to be friends with the pony who killed her, and she will try to get rid of you! Shadamena! You should fight that entity you call 'Sweetie Pie' once again! You should take back control! Then you can give up this quest and be free of guilt! There is no way for this to turn out well for you!_**

Pinkie stabbed again, forcing more squeals from Dirge and turning Dirgey Pie transparent.

"**_She'll have you lobotomized if she doesn't kill you first! And the fillies! She'll totally take the risk of turning you into a vegetable if that means destroying her enemy! And how do you know you two won't break up again when you have Dashie back? What if you can't share? Especially because, once again, You. Cannot. Win!"_**

Pinkie rose the sword again. "You know, I was worried that Dirge was going to remind me of myself, somehow. You even started to fulfill that worry…but, you failed. I'm sorry, but you're routine is all over the place, without even disorienting your victim first. The disorientation is the key part to flooding the rhetorical space so the victim can't see the forest for the trees. You're lies were too obvious, cliché, even. And you simply suck being Meanie Pie, even if I WAS going to fall for my own traps. Now vanish."

Pinkie stabbed one final time, and the glyph erupted into a geyser of Black Blood before vanishing. The Mirage Pinkie disappeared, but Dirge only tore itself free and returned to beneath the ground.

Pinkie rolled across the sand as the Colossus sank….and she laid there for a while, in silence.

And then she laughed.

The pain of losing in the grove had weighed horribly on her conscience ever since Rainbow's cries and pleas woke her back up. The combined entity that was Dual Pie inherited that guilt. And as both the victim and perpetrator, she could never get a second chance to fix that. Never.

But she just did it. It was a mystery where these voices where coming from, but she just realized that in a way she had just defeated a demon from her past. It didn't make up for much of anything, and she still had to free Dormin to begin to fix any of her mistakes but…

That felt satisfying. Although…she felt like she was forgetting somethi-wait.

Twitchy tail. But…the ceiling of the cave didn't seem to be unstable.

Dirge gave a cry as it leapt out of the sand, it mandibles spread wide. Pinkie screamed, grabbed the scabbard, but flinched as she accidentally sent the sword flying away from her. This cost her precious nanoseconds she didn't have to spare.

Pinkie's screams were muffled as she vanished into the horrible blinding maw of the colossus….

Dirge gulped and felt very satisfied. It disappeared beneath the sand for a nap while it digested its meal.

Silence fell across the cavern, only a few scattered caltrops and a sword lodged in the ground remained as any sign the little pink pony was ever there…..

…..

…..

…..

Suddenly, the sword rose out of the ground and fell on its side, and there was a flash.

"RETURNRETURNRETURNRETURN! GET IT OFF! AHHH! Even their ick is electric!" Pinkie rolled around in the sand trying to the glowing, sizzling gunk off of her coat. She had bruises all over her body

After a lot of tumbling around, Pinkie was no longer hurting, although there was still some of the glowy stuff on her Berry Punch jacket…

"I just…I just got eaten…." Pinkie said, her eyes wide in revelation.

The corners of her mouth turned up…and she burst out laughing. "Ahahaha! It…ate me! I almost died but I threw the sword by accident! HAHAHAHA!"

As she got to her hooves, Dirge rose back above the sand. It seemed miffed that it had been robbed of its meal.

Pinkie raised a hoof to her face, and pulled down her lower eyelid. "Bleeeh! You can't catch me!" So she hopped around the cavern, Dirge right behind her.

_So…should I lure him back to the caltrops and nail him that way? Ah, no! Boring! Besides, I don't want to get eaten again._

_Actually…I feel like…Dancing._

Pinkie leapt into the air, spun, and landed on her hind legs, and began doing a Russian dance in reverse.

"Hey! Hey! Hey!" She drew a knife with her free hoof. "Head's up!" she called, grinning. And flung it into the Colossus' eye.

Dirge immediately began spinning through the sand, and Pinkie leapt out of the way, landing flat on her belly as Dirge crashed into a wall behind her.

Pinkie smirked and got out her clamps….lots of hair-pulling later, she was at the very peak of Mt. Dirge, where another sigil lay behind its Stony face.

And thus, at long last, fell Dirge the Devourer. Aspect of the Cave and Manifestation of Amorality and Voracity.

The dark ribbons came for her…but this time, instead of just sitting there and taking them, she ran away. She giggled and hopped and evaded the lines for a period of time she couldn't even track. But even though they were eventually going to catch up with her, she wasn't going to try her best, to the last of her strength.

Still…she needed to tell those fillies how much they had helped her. They not only got her the scabbard but found out its amazing secret. She wondered what they were doing now…

* * *

><p>Scootaloo, having finally calmed down, took a moment to rest. She could still fly, despite her twisted wing. She had barely got away…Just barely. Still, it was a good thing that she had retreated down to these jungles down see saw from the cliffs where Apple Bloom had cornered her. Scootaloo's "flight" to her new haven had more closely resembled a controlled fall.<p>

Scootaloo was positive Apple Bloom could never follow her here. No matter how resourceful she was. She had never expected Apple Bloom to attack her with jumper cables of all things. She would've never retrieved that bag from the mountains for her is she knew how much pain Bloom would inflict on her with them…

"Whew…oh well. Maybe I'll tell Miss Pinkamena on her when my wing gets better." Scootaloo smirked. "Then we'll see whose the favorite assistant…" The young pegasus filly lay down on her side, starting to get sleepy watching the water fowl swim across the river…

She actually kind of liked watching all the little animals of the Forbidden land. There were lizards and turtles and eagles…nothing was big enough to threaten a pony, not even a foal like her. She also liked the different kinds of plants this jungle had to….offer…

Scootaloo froze up. She didn't dare move.

Underneath the overgrowth, she saw a shadow moving closer towards her….

It looked back at her and saw her noticing it. It smiled a terrifying grin.

Scootaloo screamed and trotted away, and the shadow immediately followed her.

* * *

><p>Twilight walked in silence along Rarity through the halls of Canterlot's palace. It was so...awkward around her. She hadn't spoken much during their trip to Canterlot when the Princess summoned them. Something had changed about Rarity recently.<p>

As the two unicorns entered the throne room, Princess Celestia greeted them.

"Twilight Sparkle, I see you brought Rarity with you. However, where is your other friend?"

"Fluttershy is…indisposed, Princess. She took Applejack's and Rainbow Dash's deaths really hard. And now that Sugarcube Corner has mysteriously burned down with no sign of Pinkie…"

"That's really unfortunate. I hope she'll pull through." Celestia eyed Twilight for a moment, as if deciding how best to advance the conversation. "Twilight, Rarity, have you two noticed anything different about Pinkie's behavior recently? Before her house burned down?"

Twilight started. "Well, not really-"

"She rarely left that bakery of hers recently." Rarity interrupted. "She's been reading some books, barely speaking to customers, even her friends. Both her and her assistant seem downtrodden, but I can't for the life of me figure out what caused it. I managed to take a peak in that book once but it was just some mythological gibberish. Pages and pages fixated on some horrible-looking creature called-"

"Dormin." Princess Celestia finished.

Rarity's eyes widened.

"Girls, I believe Pinkie Pie may be alive…and connected to the sudden reappearance and kidnapping of Apple Bloom, as well as the theft of a certain magical sword from Canterlot's vaults."

"What? Apple Bloom's alive?" Twilight gasped.

"Yes. Her family found her just on their doorstep. She didn't speak to them very much, but the resemblance to the foal they lost was uncanny. Like, before she didn't have a cutie mark on her flank. The very night she appeared, some armed ponies that stormed the Apple Family's residence and stole her away!"

"Y-your highness, what does this mean?" Rarity asked.

"Not only that, but it seems that a very powerful teleport spell was used near the wreckage of the sword thief's vehicle: A cycle-powered gyrocopter, decorated to resemble a candy cane." Celestia finished. "The magic of the spell is old and foreign, and leaves a distinctive trail not like other Equestrian magic. I believe that I can sent one unicorn down this trail, where ever it leads. And track down Pinkie Pie. She might be attempting to release a great evil."

"Princess…You don't really think Pinkie is capable of that, do you?"

"I can say that I honestly do not know what to expect anymore. There is also…" The Princess trailed off.

"…Also?" Twilight asked.

"…..This is probably not related, but there has been a disturbing trend of disappearances and 'accidental deaths' that left no bodies in Ponyville. I was worried that the bearer of the Element of Laughter might also have something to do with those, but didn't want to believe it. It was why I asked if she had appeared differently lately…Rarity, what ever is the matter?"

Rarity saw it. _Disappearances? Left no bodies…_

_Of course. Pinkie wasn't okay. All this time she wasn't okay._

_And if she wasn't okay, and she was behind Applejack, and behind Rainbow Dash, then that means…that means she might have…_

Rarity recalled a horrible scene, one where she saw one Pinkie brutally murdering another, making her victim think that Sweetie Belle was the one who was actually dying. It was the most twisted, personal thing Rarity had ever seen.

She knew Sweetie Belle wasn't in danger _then, _but…

"Sweetie Belle." Rarity said, horrified. "I'm so sorry…of course you wouldn't go out into the Everfree forest by yourself…I'm such a fool."

Twilight looked at her friend. "Rarity?"

Stepping forward, Rarity spoke to Celestia. "Princess Celestia, you _have_ to send me after Pinkie Pie! I have to be the one to confront her!" The white unicorn had fire in her eyes that gave the Sun princess pause.

* * *

><p>A dark –well, technically gray- and malevolent force glowered as it watched its latest attack against the Pink Mare fail. She thought for one glorious moment that Pinkie had been too proud in her victory, and that Pinkie had snatched defeat from the jaws of victory. But she would escape from that dilemma as well.<p>

She supposed she could've said that the 'it seemed the jaws of defeat had snatched Pinkie, rather' But those kinds of puns were for stupid, insufferable people who fail to understand how unfunny they are. Just like that **_ANNOYING PINK FILLY WHO NEEDED TO DIE._**

The arch-villainess continued to plot.

* * *

><p>"Lord Emon!" called an Earth Pony who wore a mask that resembled the helm of Phaedra. "Look, here. The hunters have found tracks. Someone has traveled this exact trail before us. It appears to be a pony…probably a mare. She seemed to have been weighed down with a heavy load of some kind, but her pace was moderately swift. She was alone. But it hasn't been used ever since that frontier town was abandoned ten years ago. Could this mean that-"<p>

"Yes." said an aged gray-manned blue Unicorn stallion wearing a white robe and a Mask that resembled the face of Valus. We've found her. The Sword thief. We should continue to assume the worst. We must reach the Forbidden Land posthaste! Follow these tracks! Let me know the minute you discover they deviate from the ancestral path to the Forbidden Land!"

_I don't know who you are, blasphemer…but we will stop you!_

Following Lord Emon, was a small detachment of around twenty five heavily armed ponies.

* * *

><p>As Pinkie lay on the temple floor, the shadows of a Snake, a Monitor Lizard, a Tortoise, and a fish-tailed Hippocampus pony stood around her body until Dirge's idol exploded.<p>

Pinkie awoke, and noticed that her fatigue from her battle with Dirge, as well as the black tendrils afterward, had vanished. Maybe it was just her extra-peppy attitude. Actually…she wondered why she hadn't felt tired all day. Without a normal Sun, and constantly losing consciousness after defeating the Colossi, it was hard to tell how much time had passed since she first arrived.

She was roused from her ponderings when she heard the voice of Dormin:

"Thy next destination... An altar overlooks the lake... A guardian set loose... It keeps the flames alive"

"Okie Dokie Lokie, Dormie! Right now, I feel better than I have in weeks, or months, depending on which me you're talking about. And, it feels as if nothing could possible go wrong now!" Pinkie beamed.

_AN: I hope you have enjoyed this addition to "Pinkie of the Colossus. I wanted to finish the story all in one go, but that didn't actually happen. I've made you guys wait long enough._

_I think next week, I'll return to the main story, but stay on the look out for __"Omake 3, part 3: Antagonist Onslaught!"_


	20. Chapter 16, part 1: Title pending

**The Dark Side**  
><em>A My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic fanfiction by Lord Xaos<br>Chapter 16: part 1_

In the darkest region of the Everfree forest, a lot of ponies were following a lot of different-but-related agendas. One who wasn't actively keeping track might possibly be lost:

-Outside of a certain grove she could not herself enter, the astral projection of a zebra marshaled the spirits of four ponies to save the other two that were trapped in the grove. Three of those ponies had given her troubling accounts, indeed.  
>-Somewhere, inside that grove, slumbered the darkened form of a pale earth pony.<br>- A cyan pegasus had just passed out from screaming nonstop ever since she felt a horrible hollow feeling in chest after apparently waking up only thinking she was safe from the butcher pony. She feared that any number of organs had been removed from her and that she had only been left with a false sense of freedom when she was, in fact, going to die.  
>-In a certain rented tea house, said butcher pony was happily plotting the final moves of the game.<br>-Unbeknowst to all, another agent was using the soulless reflections of ponies that populated the village for its own purposes. To locate its prey…and destroy her.  
>-And finally, a creation which should normally have been impossible to make given the conditions of the grove at present, meandered towards a destination without even really thinking. Deep in what passed for its subconscious, strange orders were written. Orders that would be obeyed, without it even being aware of them. As for its conscious mind… it wanted nothing more than to make friends. Friends like the ones it had fuzzy memories of possessing. Friends from that city. A city called….called….it couldn't remember.<p>

And yet, for all this activity, soon enough, there would be one, and only one, major conflict, one major questionthat will determine the relevant outcome to all of these disperse stories…

* * *

><p>In the bedroom in a house made of clouds, lay a cyan pegasus mare whose head spun as she regained consciousness for the second time in a row.<p>

_Okay…lesson learned. Never expend your entire air supply by screaming for five or so consecutive minutes without taking a breath._

Rainbow caught her reflection in the mirror she had recently put up in her bedroom. Rarity had bought it for her, undoubtedly so she might spend more time grooming herself in the morning.

Rainbow Dash was starting to calm down, starting to believe that whatever was removed when the surgical scar on the side of her belly was made, she was going to live without it. She had thought that maybe one of her lungs was taken, but the labored breathing seemed to have just been from her panic.

At least, she thought it was that. She was breathing normally now that she calmed down. This WAS normal breathing, right? She cursed herself for not paying attention to such little things before now.

Four stitches closed the tiny incision…that was too small to remove any organ, right? It was all that evil version of Pinkie Pie had done to her. She had brutally murdered the other Rainbow Dash, but she had been content with just leaving this tiny little mark on her. She had been returned to her cloud house, not even tied up or anything.

After all the things she had done to the other Rainbow… Why had she spared her?

She didn't just lack mercy, but her…vileness would forever change what Rainbow Dash defined as mercilessness.

_"And that, Dashie-Washie, is how you slice off a cutie mark!"_

…

"Then I got out the power drill and went in all the way up to here! Oh my, she made so much noise during that. Why, I was worried she would disturb your nappy time! But, you slept right through it! Did anypony ever tell you you're a heavy sleeper? Why, I could probably sing the Loud Song while sneaking up on you! Hey, maybe I'll try that sometime!"

…

"Oh yeah. I don't think anypony really knows this about Parasprites, but when they feel threatened, like say, when they are imprisoned in a griffon's stomach, they go into full on attack mode and start trying to eat their way out! And that in turn produces more parasprites, although…strangely enough, they don't really take to meat very well. The new ones come out…strange. Malformed and not long for this world. Still, they survived long enough to put on quite a show! There's a reason I only really saved Gilda's skull, you know. Aside from the whole burning her meat thing…"

* * *

><p><em>Oh G…other me…everypony. ...If any of you were even real. I'm so sorry. I'll get her back.<em>

But the question remained. Why was she here?

….

_Okay. Maybe I didn't put up such a great showing there. But…to just let me go? I mean, if I go and do what crazy Dash did with the knife, this time I know to stab her in the face were she's not armored._

…in the face that she shares with my best friend.

Rainbow Dash sighed, her head drooping down to the ground dejected. Then she shot back up, realizing something horrible.

"Pinkie Pie! She's still out there somewhere, facing who knows what!" Rainbow Dash trotted out of her bedroom, ran down the hallway and failed to catch herself in time before she tripped over a small box that blocked her way to the door outside.

"Huh? What's this?" Rainbow stared at the box….and noticed the note attached to it. When she unfolded it, she immediately screamed and threw it away when she realized that the gigantic and bulky letters of the letter's salutation –"Hi, Cupcake!"- were written in dried blood, unlike the rest of the message's black ink.

The letter floated gently down and landed back on top of the box.

She stared at the note, not really wanting to read what it said, or examine the contents of the box. The box particularly send chills through her body, as she was trapped between her imagination conjuring all sorts of horrific images that she knew she didn't want to see, and her curiosity threatening to eat her alive if she just threw the box away. Cursing her cowardice, Rainbow Dash fetched the note once more. She at least wanted answers for why she was alive and not a pastry.

Hi, Cupcake!

Well, okay, I know that's Mrs. Cake's name, but you know what I mean. Actually, she was my inspiration. It's such a shame we lost her and the babies she was carrying. So very, very sad…

Rainbow Dash had to stop reading for a moment. Still, she returned to the message and continued to read, all the same.

But, that's not what I came to write to you about.

Oh, Dashie, how could you? She was just trying to offer you cupcakes! She always tried to cheer you up after you had been so grumpy and sad. And then you went and did THAT to her. You're the worst friend ever!

Just kidding! Anyway, I hope you like the little surprise I left you. In fact, I KNOW you will. Just remember, the box has been cloud proofed, but the contents haven't been. Be gentle with this part, its seen some misuse. I'm afraid I botched up trying to sew it back on, but then I thought about you!

Your bestest best pal,  
><em>The ONE and ONLY Pinkie Pie<em>

PostScript- I REALLY like her mane! It's so straight and silky and pretty!

Rainbow looked at the small, square box. It looked heavy to lift, by it could be holding anything. She reread the confusing note.

Rainbow's face was expressionless for a moment, and then her eyes grew wide.

_No… Please no._

She began to tear the lid off the nails of the box, desperately hoping it that the note didn't mean what she thought it meant.

_No. Zecora said something about you shadow needing to break all of your spirit to hurt you! That's right. No matter what happens here, you have to remember that its just a trick! It all has to be a trick! It can't be what you think it is, Rainbow! It just-!_

Remembering who the note came from, she realized that the box could be filled with angry cobras or something. …But before she could stop herself, she had gone and opened the box anyway.

…..

…..

…..

Rainbow froze, staring at the box's contents. It took her a moment to recognize what it was. It wasn't its usual shape. Then, the rainbow-maned pegasus started to come out of her momentary paralysis. Raising a hoof over her mouth, she let out a choking sob.

She screamed and wrapped her forelegs around the blood-stained severed pony's tail, crying into it.

* * *

><p><em>And by now, she should have found the package.<em>Shadamena smirked as she stared out the window of the little cottage on the outskirts of town where she had rent –or rather, created- as her secondary base. She giggled at could only imagine the terrible shock she had just given Rainbow Dash.

_Of course, whenever she does go back to Sugarcube Corner, she won't have to go to basement. I've already emptied it out, anyway, along with all other evidence._

She turned to face …Rainbow Dash.

Who was alongside Rarity.

They were just…standing there.

Neither did Shadamena seemed shocked by their presence as she immediately launched into giving her guests orders. "Oh good, you're here. Alright, here's the scene: Dashie, you and Rarity found out where my other hideout was, due to Rarity knowing that I had rented this old house from the elderly earth mare Morning Glory, who mentioned it to Rarity when she bought a dress from her shop recently, and then Rarity told Dashie when she stopped by her place an hour ago. They came here, they didn't find me but did find…oh, you know what? I better go get her!"

And with that, Shadamena walked upstairs, the other two ponies following her.

* * *

><p>Darkness. She stared endlessly into darkness. If she had the capacity for boredom, she would've been driving insane by now. But no. She was perfectly and unironically okay with the total sensory deprivation.<p>

Suddenly, the door opened, and light flooded in. Behind the mare that had opened the closet door, she saw a brightly-lit room with a fancy table draped with a bloodstained white cloth and porcelain tea set that had been knocked over. Also, there was an older unicorn, and a cyan pegasus with a rainbow mane and tail in the room, just staring into space. Being a bit like a mindless automaton herself, the little unicorn completely failed to be disturbed in the slightest by the pair's zombie like expressions and behavior.

'Sweetie Belle' looked up at the pink earth pony …and smiled.

"Oh, hi Pinkie! Is it time for me to come out of this closet, yet?"

"Yes, Sweetie. I need you to play a very fun game."

"A game?" 'Sweetie' squeaked. "What kind of game?"

"I'll explain in just a moment, Sweetie. First, I need you to come over to this chair and sit down." Shadamena waved her hoof at one of the chairs, which had a seat covered in blood.

"Okay." The unicorn filly went and did so. "So, now what? What's the game?"

"Mind rape." Shadamena said with a much-too-merry grin for the grim tone in her voice as she drew a knife from her dress.

'Sweetie Belle' cheered. "YAAAAAAY!"

Shadamena joined in "YAAAAAAAYY!" and in mid-cheer, she slit the little unicorn's throat with a flick of her fetlock. "Ahhhh…I really love my job." She smiled gleefully. She rose the knife and stabbed "Sweetie Belle" over and over. "I love it! I love it! Love it! Love it! LOVE IT! AAHHAHAHAHA!"

She finished, and turned to 'Rarity', who had not reacted to 'Sweetie Belle' being murdered right in front of her. She looked about to say something, but suddenly looked at 'Rainbow Dash', and said "Oh! Before I forget!"

She stamped her hoof three times and out of the wooden floor rose a tower of mist, which quickly exploded with color before her eyes and became the taxidermy she had used in place of Shadash when she was tormenting the real Rainbow Dash.

Shadamena walked over to 'Doll Dash' and _bit_on her blue-green-violet forelocks that draped around her neck. Neither of the living 'Rainbow Dash' nor 'Rarity' batted an eye as this was happening. Shadamena pulled and pulled until a lock of multicolored hair came out in her mouth. "Thank you! I'll need this for something."

Shadamena stamped her hoof again, and 'Doll Dash' was gone, but the hair remained.

"You found her here. In…let's say, thirty seconds. Oh, and then you two gather up ponies to look for Pinkie Pie, blaming her for this. You don't really see me anymore. Now if you're excuse me, I gotta deal with Dashie." Shadamena said

"Yes, Mistress!" 'Rarity' and 'Rainbow Dash' said in unison.

Shadamena trotted out the door.

"Rarity" stared stupidly at the table for a few seconds, a stupid smile on her face as she stared right at the murdered Sweetie Belle.

And then, as if a switch went on in her head, 'Rarity' started to shake all over her body….and then she let out an ear-splitting scream and break down crying. It was as if she just now registered, or was allowed to register, that Sweetie Belle was dead and this was supposed to mean something to her.

"I smell an Oscaaaar…" Shadamena sang as she trotted out of the house. She looked over her shoulder at the body bag she was carrying out of the room on her back.

Stepping outside, she came face to face with 'Twilight Sparkle' and 'Fluttershy', who, like the ones before, were also just staring into space. "Take this to Sugarcube Corner…and unload its contents the floor of the kitchen. Fluttershy, You were just checking up on Pinkie Pie, she was supposed to pick up Gummy from your cottage but was late, when you found her like this just inside the kitchen, very close to the doorway. Twilight, you will also be in the area and discover Fluttershy screaming. Or fainting. Or both. You investigate, find something is inside Pinkie's mouth, and discover…"

Shadamena pulled something out of her saddlebag, and gave it to 'Twilight'. Something…colorful.

"Now. Go!"

'Twilight' and 'Fluttershy' teleported away in a flash of purple.

* * *

><p>A Jackanapes wondered the streets, grumbling to itself. It had been annoyed with the plan the Stripey Ghost had laid out, seen it as just an excuse to do nothing for a few more minutes. Then it found itself in this Ponyville that wasn't Ponyville where all the streets had been rearranged like some sort of rubix cube.<p>

Also, rather disturbingly, where none of the ponies had faces.

It wasn't looking for any particular building, oh no, buildings had a tendency to stay in one place and be actually locatable. The Jackanapes was looking for friends that couldn't be helped as it was now, and hoping that they would stay in one place in the time it would take for to the Jackanapes to return to its body, and as a flesh-and-blood earth pony, return to the Grove to do anything. The Ghost had insisted that this was the best way to handle things, given reasons for the caution, but it all went over the Jackanapes head, and the Jackanapes was only getting more and more frustrated as time went on.

The Jackanapes was getting more than just frustrated. The anxiety was really getting to it. An Anxious Jackanapes.

"This just ain't workin'! Now how in thunderation am Ah supposed to find Pinkie or Rainbow in this mess? Even with all of these creepy faceless ponies, they would just blend into the crowd. Am Ah supposed t' keep searching for all the rest of the day until Ah just happen to bump into them?"

Just then, a multi-colored and chromatic blur darted across the sky, screaming something about Sugarcube Corner in what sounded like Rainbow Dash's voice.

"…or maybe Ah could follow the screaming rainbow trail. Yeah, that works."

* * *

><p>Pinkie Pie stumbled through the dark place she found herself. The ground was squishy, and it rose and heaved and threw her off balance even more. The walls were also squishy, and they <em>stank<em>. Oh heavens, the smell!

With a disturbingly melted-looking hoof, she pounded on the squishy wall crying "HELP! Let me out of here!"

No matter how hard she pounded, she couldn't escape.

Suddenly, Pinkie was outside the wall…or rather she _was_the wall.

Pinkie was in a much larger room, but she herself was much larger. This room was also dark and squishy, but she was submerged in a very large pool, all the way up past her waistline, which was itself different than before. Her bloated stomach ached. It was as if she was inflated like a balloon…and all the helium was crushing her other organs. She could barely breath, and then there was the nauseating smell of her prison. Her body was almost immobile with pain and impossible weight, and her throat burned with reflux. To make matters worse, she felt something pounding on the inside of her stomach, and it made her aching tummy feel even worse.

Rolling back, Pinkie's head touched the wall of her new prison and she felt her mane become covered in slime from the wall. Still, Pinkie was desperate to escape this loathsome place and banged her head against that wall.

She tried to call for help, but only bile escaped from her mouth as she vomited.

And again, the world changed.

It was another Pinkie, but the consciousness that was Pinkie Pie was disoriented and not certain if she was the pony she was aware of or simply watching it. The consciousness did not even think to find that question odd. This Pinkie Pie was large, but her body was more like the Party Pony's giant weight. Still, she was obviously a giant.

Lying on her back, Giant Pie sighed contentedly, and rubbed her own stomach with a hoof.

As she did so, there was a terrible cacophony of shrieks that sounded exactly like the scream of Sweetie Bell that Pinkie had heard when she was being stabbed before.

Only this time, the scream did not remain faint and ethereal, but rather grew in intensity as Giant Pie rubbed herself, volume raising slowly until all of a sudden the noise spiked And It Rose AND ROSE AND ROSE **UNTIL**-

* * *

><p>Pinkie opened her eyes. Her head pounded. Her stomach felt like it was twisted in knots, as if her body was going through the motions to vomit, but had nothing to give. She also felt terribly thirsty, as if dehydrated.<p>

She found herself in the shade of a tree in middle of Ponyville's picnic park. There were the sounds of other ponies nearby, but Pinkie ignored them, knowing that they couldn't see or hear her, and the closest pony was some distance away anyway. She looked up at the partly cloudy sky, staring blankly. The mist and overcast from earlier had been cleared up, and the sun shone down through the clouds with an almost cruel happiness.

She heard foals giggling and shrieking in the distance. She didn't feel her usual impulse to run and play with the kids, and in fact found them annoying. Then….it all suddenly came back to her.

* * *

><p><em>"Please think, Pinkie! If you can remember anything…anything at all! Please tell me!"<em>

"Hee heee heee eeeeeaa AHAHAHAHAHAHAHHA HA HA HA HA-OH WOW, YOUR SCREAMS ARE TOTALLY HARMONIZED! YOU REALLY COULD BE THE SAME PONY! !"

* * *

><p>Remembering where she was before "falling asleep", Pinkie took a sharp, shuddering intact of breath….and let out an anguished sob. Pain wracked her voice as she spoke "Sweetie Belle! I failed to save Sweetie Belle! She's…she's!"<p>

Pinkie fell to the ground, crying. "She's gone!"

The pink earth pony gave into her sorrow. She felt a terrible weight over her entire body and she could hardly even form coherent thoughts for a while.

She knew Meanie Pie was full of nothing but lies about her situation. The two lines of thought (A: That Pinkie could only escape if she killed Rainbow Dash and B: That she only existed in Meanie's head as a kind of pseudo-coping mechanism because that is SUCH A LOAD OF HORSESPRINKLES) were contradictory. Pinkie vaguely remembered something about Meanie Pie bringing up them not contradicting while she was 'dying', but she wasn't going to believe that.

But, she wasn't sad about that. Sweetie Belle was most likely dead. If she wasn't dead before Pinkie had even got there, then Meanie Pie would probably have killed her afterwards because she knew that Pinkie and Rainbow Dash knew. Which meant, not matter how many things Meanie said which were lies…

…My fault. All my fault. I'M SO STUPID! Pinkie trembled even more violently. "Stupid. Stupid. AHAHAHAHA DUMB! DUMB! DUMB DUMB DUMB! AHAHAhahahha. Ah….ha. ha. Haa~"

She also knew this wasn't *her* Sweetie Belle, but she couldn't help but remember all the times she and the other Cutie Mark Crusaders visited her. Her sweet little voice rang in her ears. She loved those kids, and would never want this to happen to anyone of them, but felt that Sweetie Belle was always the most shy and gentlest one. It was a terrible, terrible tragedy for any world to lose her. And even worse was the fact that she had allowed it to happen. She felt both relief and subsequent guilt that she didn't actually have the ability to break the bad news to Rarity, because of the strange rules of this world…

"I'm so sorry, Sweetie. I'm so, so, sorry…."

After an unknown amount of time passed, she was abruptly alerted to a strange twitching sensation. A very familiar one. In her tail.

_…Wait. My tail! _Pinkie craned her head back and saw that she did, in fact, have her tail back. As if kicking into overdrive, her mind swam with revelations in the space of a few seconds:

_-If I have my tail back, what does that mean?  
>-Meanie Pie had her tail.<br>-No…don't jump to conclusions. I don't have my hoof bandaged up from where she was bitten. And besides, Dashie hasn't actually found Meanie Pie all on her own.  
>-But then again, why would she have her hoof bandaged? I bit her, which couldn't be done unless I was real.<br>-So what does that mean?  
>-I don't know, what did it mean for me to be tailless in that fight? I had to…to…use the tail against Dashie to escape.<br>-Its not right…more of us are missing…and in their place, there are two different forces. Something has broken free…something that never should've returned…its not right…  
>-Hey guys? Doesn't a Twitchy Tail mean something is about to fall?<br>-Huh?_

"GERONIMOOOO!" came a hyper, feminine voice from above. Pinkie craned her head just in time to see the vague frame of a yellow pony falling down on top of her before she could react aside from a quick "Eeeek!"

"Oof!" the strange pony grunted as she landed on top of Pinkie Pie. "Oh…whoops. Heh heh. Thanks for breaking my fall there."

Pinkie leapt off the ground, hoisting her assailant off of her without even looking at her. "GET AWAY!" She cried as she ran out of the tree's shade, running around in circles blindly. She heard high pitched shrieking sounds all around her, but ignored them, continuing to run until she stumbled over her own hooves. In response to this, she simply curled into a ball and continued crying.

After a few moments of silence, Pinkie Pie felt the sensation of being prodded by something.

"No…No, leave me alone…" the earth pony kept her eyes shut, as if afraid of what she might see. _ Maybe its Meanie Pie about to harvest me for more cupcakes and tell me more horrible things! Or Dashie, come to try to kill me again, blaming me for murdering Sweetie Belle! Make it stop! Please Celestia! Make it stop!_

Pinkie couldn't She heard mumbling off in the distance. Parents called for their children to rejoin them.

"H-hey. Come on. I'm sorry I jumped on you, I didn't see you there. You kind of are hard to see in the Shade there." Pinkie recognized the speaker as the voice of the pony who had 'attacked' her.

She was a unicorn. She had orange eyes, a yellow coat, blond mane and tail both cut short for a tomboyish look, and a gold-colored flame for a cutie mark.

Also, she had a big dumb grin on her face that for some reason Pinkie couldn't put her hoof on, made her dislike this newcomer a little bit more.

"W-what are you doing! Who are you? Wait, you can see me? You can touch me?" Question after question spilled out of Pinkie's lips as they entered her mind.

"HUUUUUUAAAAAAAAHHHHH!" the unicorn gasped dramatically, causing Pinkie to wince and her ears to flatten.

_Oh my gosh, what's wrong now? Maybe she still can't hear me? Has she mistaken me for Meanie Pie and is about to have a heart attack? Is it something even worse? I can't take anymore of this!_

"What? W-what's wrong now?" Pinkie stammered, shrinking away a little further from the obviously mentally unstable pony that she was afraid she had somehow broken in some way.

The unicorn blinked. "Oh. Nevermind." She said with a blank expression. She returned to her pleasant, dopy smile. "I'm Sunny Gold."

Pinkie, unable to keep up with all of this whiplash, simply said "….lolwut."

"I'm Sunny Gold?" the unicorn tilted her head to the side, her smile faltering just a little bit.

"No! Not that! I mean…ugh. Why did you answer my last question with a scream? Who does that?"

* * *

><p>Outside the boundaries of the Darkest Grove, the Twilit Specter had the strangest urge to start banging her head against the nearest tree. Instead, she let out a frustrated groan.<p>

The other spirits stared at her. The Fluttering Shade had hidden behind the Wrathful Wraith. The Striped Ghost, who had been discussing a plan of action, seemed particularly annoyed at Twilight.

"Sorry." Said Twilight. "I just felt like doing that for some unexplainable reason."

The Striped Ghost spoke. "We are all at our wits' ends, but I would hope that you would pay attention if only for the sake of our friends."

* * *

><p>Sunny stared at Pinkie with a blank expression for a moment and she said "Oh! Right! Because you looked like that purple pony that I wanted to make friends with! But you're kind of pinker…like. Pinkish-purple. I don't know. My Mom-Dad is pink, and you kind of remind me of her, but she's much brighter colored than you. I also thought you had her hairstyle, but she had a pink streak through her hair. She might've also been a unicorn. I tried to be friends with her, but she ran away screaming. So, I was saying you reminded me of her. Oh, and then, I introduced myself."<p>

Pinkie looked at herself. _Purple? What is she…oh. Right. This again. The doctors never found out what makes my coat change this color…probably because I've never had it long enough for them to even see it. _Annoyed and feeling a headache coming on, Pinkie just stared at the unicorn.

The blond unicorn grinned. "Hi! I'm Sunny Gold!"

Pinkie held her head in her hooves. "Ugh. Look, I really, really need you-"

"I'm Sunnyyyy~" Sunny sang.

Pinkie stared at the unicorn mare for a moment. "My name's Pinkie Pie. Nice to meet you."

Sunny's grin went even wider. "Oh hi, Pinkie Pie! I'm Miss Winky Mcjickers!"

Pinkie's subsequent death glare failed to poke any holes in the impregnable armor of Sunny Gold's/Ms. Mcjickers' dopey grin.

"WHOEVER YOU ARE, I need you to talk like a normal pony." Pinkie growled. "Just…don't scream at me anymore, okay?"

Pinkie suddenly felt a spasm. Her world was green fog and purple dots for a fraction of a second. **_Why not? She sounds just like you. Stupid and Insane…_**Spoke a voice in Pinkie's head. The spasm and the voice in Pinkie's head went away as quickly as they had appeared.

Sunny looked surprised. "Whoa. Hey, what was that? Oh! Oh! I can make funny faces too!" Sunny screwed up her face and obviously attempting –and apparently failing- to do something with her tongue that seemed to require it stretch further than it actually was able to go….but Pinkie cut her off, raising a hoof to stop her acquaintance.

"That was nothing important." Pinkie was getting too many stimuli at once; she couldn't focus on them all. "I've just had…" her voice broke into a choking sound; she started again "had a rough day."

Sunny gasped, less dramatically this time "Hey, were you about to cry?" A concerned look crossed the unicorn mare's face.

Pinkie took a deep breath, covering her face. _Alright, Pinkie, a lot of crazy stuff happened in the events leading up to your 'death', but this pony is the first one who can see you who doesn't want to cut something off of you. Maybe you can get her to help you. You need some other pony to help you catch Meanie Pie so you can prove to Dashie –and possibly YOURSELF- that you aren't the same. And to do that, you need to buck up and get her on your side._

"No! I mean…no. I'm fine, really." Pinkie forced a smile, her voice a little raspy from dehydration. "I…really thought I knew everypony in Ponyville, but I don't recognize you. Did you move in recently?"

"Um…I guess so. I came with my Dad after he took me from my mom's place and planted her here, and then they had me!" Sunny said.

"Uh….huh." Pinkie said. _ Wait. That would mean she was born here, but she said she moved in her recently. That makes no sense. Okay, you know what? I'm starting to see a pattern. I can only interact with the crazy ponies. That's…wonderful. Oh Celestia, just promise me she'll be useful enough to help me get in touch with my friends._

"I haven't met many ponies who aren't weirdoes, however. There was a very shy one who ran away that I wanted to get to know, but it's okay because I made another friend! She's a very silly pegasus."

"Huh? Oh, you must be talking about Fluttershy and Ditzy Doo! I know those two!" Pinkie said, registering Sunny was still speaking. "Actually, um…I might need your help getting in contact with them, I…" Pinkie trailed off. "I don't know if I can talk to some of my friends. Well, I don't _think_I can talk to them.."

Sunny seemed to notice her trailing off. "Why? Did you have a fight of some sort? Are they mad at you?"

**_They will be, when they discover Sweetie Belle. You really should run away from town and never look back._**The cruel voice in Pinkie's brain spoke again as she twitched once more.

Pinkie shook it off. "No, no! It's nothing like that."

"…Um, you should know that you've kind of got a gigantic tell, so you shouldn't ever play poker." Sunny said, looking at Pinkie skeptically. When Pinkie just stared at her in response, Sunny leaned closer to her and whispered. "It's a twitch."

Pinkie felt like she should be annoyed at that, but if anything, she just felt drained. She felt her smile fall, and knew that Sunny had seen it.

She had been handling this conversation so awkwardly –random twitches aside- because she couldn't deal with recounting the whole mess with Sweetie Belle. Well, that and the random twitches and the kooky unicorn she was speaking too made things hard to focus. But now that the subject of her friends had actually come up, she couldn't pretend anymore. She only hoped she could hold off crying long enough to get Sunny to help her if indeed, Sunny was the only one available for her…

A loud "_GUUUUuuuuurrgggllleeee_" came from Pinkie's stomach all of a sudden. It was so noisy, it was a wonder it didn't shake the earth.

Pinkie, finding herself blushing at this sudden turn of events tried to continue speaking "Ah, anyway…." Another groan from her stomach sounded again.

Sunny Gold's eyes went wide. "Oh my gosh, you poor pony! That's why you're about to cry, you're starving! Here, come with me!" Sunny walked around Pinkie Pie and pushed her forward.

"H-hey! Wait! Where are we going?" Pinkie asked, trying to plant her hooves in the ground to resist being pushed.

"It's okay, it's okay!" Sunny chirped. "You'll see when we get there!"

Pinkie grumbled, but was soon distracted by the other ponies that were staring at Sunny as she pushed Pinkie forward. Pinkie vaguely remembered there was something that had caused a commotion among the park goers a few moments ago. She had been too focused on talking to Sunny to notice if the commotion had ever been about her.

_Can they see me? Or are they staring at Sunny Gold because she's walking like some kind of Mime, pushing a very stubborn air current like a bolder up a mountain…_

From one of the spread out quilts, Roseluck asked out loud "Who IS that?" at the same time that Lily exclaimed "What happened to her coat? Was it another one of Sunny's misfired spells? The horror, the horror!" Taking a moment to look at the situation. Daisy gasped and whispered something in her friends' ears which Pinkie couldn't make out and then Lily and Rose screamed before fainting. Daisy blinked twice, apparently not having expected THAT reaction from those two, and sighed with an annoyed expression on her face.

_Oh. That solves that question. Maybe I don't actually need Sunny… But where did she come from? I know she doesn't live in Ponyville..._

"Hey Sunny, who's your friend?" asked Bon Bon as they passed by her quilt. Strangely, Sunny didn't seem to hear her, and continued to push her forward."Wait...is that Pinkie Pie? But what's wrong with her coat? She's all Puce!" Bon Bon noted Pinkie's colors.

"You're right, hon-hon." Gasped Lyra "I've never seen a puce colored pony before…. I've seen red-violet manes before, however. It is like Pinkie Pie just got…darker…somehow. Look at the Cutie Mark."

Sunny kept pushing her, but Pinkie decided not to be rude. "Hi girls…"

"It is you! But how did you…"

"Who knows? She's probably just being Pinkie Pie." Lyra shrugged.

Lyra and Bon Bon kept talking, but there voices fell out of earshot. _ I can be seen by ponies other than Dashie and Meanie now…what does that mean? Do I have my tail back because I 'died' again?_

"H-hey, Sunny? Are we there yet? You're horn is kind of jabbing me."

"Oh. Sorry." Sunny had been trying to angle her horn off to the side and not poke into Pinkie Pie, but its spiral design had been pressed into Pinkie's furred skin. "Oops. My bad."

Pinkie was a little confused by the abrupt halt in momentum. "You can still take me wherever it was you were taking me. I just want to…"

"Oh, we're here. Here's where I left my basket." Sunny said, pointing a hoof at a very untidy, wrinkled blanket that had a picnic basket perched precariously on a particularly unstable portion of the blanket.

"That….seems an awful long way from the tree you were jumping out of randomly…"

"I…was waiting for somepony else and I…got a little lost."

Pinkie's stomach growled once more. She had to admit that all this vomiting/dying she had done today had left her pretty hungry…

"Uh oh. Sounds like somepony's really hungry." Sunny giggled. "Here, lets see if I have something you like. Oh! How about some of these! These Ribs are the best, they even taste good cold! But I can use my magic to heat them up for you!"

Sunny pulled out something wrapped in white paper that was stained with some strange red substance that looked horribly like blood.

Pinkie didn't say anything for a while, just staring at the stained package, her eyes shrinking into pinpoints. When she found her voice again she squeaked out a question. "Wh-what did you call this food again?"

"Ribs! You know, like the bones!" Sunny closed her eyes as she smiled cheerfully.

"Oh!" Pinkie spoke in a strained voice. "Is that all? And here I thought you just said something horrific."

* * *

><p>A cyan pegasus with a rainbow mane and tail, and a bloody pink tail tied around her fetlock, gazed at her target from where she hovered.<p>

Sugarcube Corner.

She had flown there with rage and misery etched onto her face, but now that she was staring upon the lair of the enemy who had captured her so easily last time, she felt an inkling of hesitation.

She breathed heavily, glaring at pastry-themed building as if she was having a staring contest with it.

_What if this is a trap? What if she's down there, waiting for me to come back?_

However, she only had found Pinkie's tail in that box. There still a chance that Evil Pinkie had just cut off her tail and used some other pony's blood to write that letter and dip the severed tail in. In fact, Pinkie could've escaped with just her tail gone… It was a faint, overly-optimistic hope, but one her fevered mind was clinging to like grim death.

That, and it also opened up the possibility that Pinkie Pie had escaped. Or maybe she WAS still in there, and any moment her evil twin could start torturing her to death….

Hesitation vanishing, Rainbow Dash dove down, heading through the open door at the front of the shop. Not even asking why it was open or checking to see if the rule that should couldn't open doors was still in effect. Rainbow charged blindly into the bakery, screaming a battle cry and ready to tear the entire place apart….

…and then she saw it.

Unbeknown to her, and invisible farmer pony followed her by passing through the walls. The Anxious Jackanapes ran up behind her.

"Landsakes! Slow down, would'cha, RD? Ah'm not used to just running through buildin's. Even if they are just faceless zombies, it feels too much like trespassin'…" The Jackanapes noticed that Rainbow Dash hadn't said anything. "Oh right. Ah guess ya can't hear me. Ah seem to remember Zecora sayin' something about that. Well, Ah hope you don't mind if Ah stick around to see what kind of tricks this nasty ole Grove is playin' on ya before I go back and…demand...that… we…." The Jackanapes trailed off as Rainbow Dash lay down to the ground and put her hoof on something on the floor…something…pink and red. It walked closer to Rainbow Dash and got a good look at what she was looking at.

On the ground, covered in blood and with a shiny, silvery knife thrust into her heart, was a faceless, tailless Pinkie Pie. Or, at least, she looked faceless to the Jackanapes.

Rainbow Dash, who had placed her hoof on the pony's throat, started to shake. The Jackanapes looked up, and examined her face to gauge her reaction and to make sure she had one.

Tears leaked out of Rainbow Dash's eyes as she slowly started to shake her head from side to side, gritting her teeth. And then her entire face contorted as she screamed in grief.

_This can't be happening! THIS JUST CAN'T! _Rainbow's mind reeled in despair as she continued to scream.

"I…I'M THE ONE WHO FAILED! I MESSED UP! I GOT CAUGHT! ME! Why would you let me go and take Pinkie instead?"

"Sugar cube …" the Jackanapes extended her hoof to place on Rainbow Dash's shoulder, only for it to pass through her unnoticed. "Aw, ponyfeathers."

Rainbow Dash sobbed. "I should've fought harder. I…I should've been there for you. I'm sorry Pinkie Pie."

"That ain't her!" the Jackanapes yelled. "Look, Ah know you can't hear me, but just…just…Ah don't know."

"Oh…oh, Pinkie." Rainbow Dash lay down next to her friend, letting out gentle sobs.

For a while, Rainbow didn't say anything, and neither did the Jackanapes. As Rainbow's sobbing died down, she stared intently at the knife stuck in Pinkie's body.

With a shaky hoof, she gently reached out for the knife, and pulled it out. "Well…she's not going to get me. I will find her ….and make her pay."

"Sugar cube, no! That's just what they want! You'll either get yerself killed or…." the Jackanapes gasped with a sudden, horrifying flash of insight. "…or kill the real Pinkie Pie."

The Anxious Jackanapes looked at Rainbow Dash, who was now holding the knife by its hilt in her mouth. _Ah have to get back to Zecora and the others. Ah have to stop Rainbow before she goes and does something stupid! Ah only hope that Twi was successful in finding the exit to this place…_

Suddenly, a blood curtling scream rang out from the entrance to Sugarcube, causing Rainbow to jump out of her skin and turn around to face whatever threat was assaulting her now.

Fluttershy stood there, looking completely horrified at the scene of Rainbow Dash standing over Pinkie Pie's blood soaked body, carrying a bloody knife in her mouth and a bloody tail wrapped around her hoof.

* * *

><p>"Okay…So, what was in the box?" Shadash asked.<p>

"It was Pinkie Pie's tail that she left behind somewhere." 'Ditzy Doo' said. "She said that all the rest of us are going to steal it back from Rainbow Dash after she goes to Sugarcube Corner."

"And…why are you going to steal the tail back? Wouldn't that be the perfect prop to convince Pinkie Pie that the character I've presented to her and Rainbow Dash are one and the same? To get her and Rainbow Dash to cross-banish each other?"

"Nope. The mistress doesn't want her container to attack Rainbow Dash. She wants Rainbow Dash to banish Pinkie Pie, but not the other way around. She also is deploying measures to force Pinkie Pie to self-banish or even self-encroach herself."

Shadash's eyes widened. And then narrowed. _So…that what's she's really after. She's trying to leave me alone in the Grove with Rainbow Dash, and giving her a head start to do whatever evil she is planning. Probably play the innocent helpless victim and ask the other ponies to save her from Rainbow Dash whose gone "crazy."_

"Alright. Last question, reflection number 478: where is Shadamena right now?"

"Town Hall. Also, I believe its time for me to get back to…."

"Yes, that will be all. You are free to go." Shadash said as she exited through the window of the Post office and traveled, on hoof, towards Town Hall.

_Time for some payback, Shadamena._

* * *

><p>AN: And now, I'm going to cut it. Who or what is Sunny Gold? What ARE those wacky shadows up to? Will Rainbow Dash realize Pinkie is still alive? Will Pinkie Pie ever catch a break? And most importantly of all…

…what IS the story on ponies eating meat products, anyway?


	21. Chapter 16, part 2: Title still pending

EDIT NOTICE: The Missing Scene has been added to this chapter.

* * *

><p><strong>The Dark Side<strong>

_A My Little Pony fanfiction by Lord Xaos_

_Characters are the property of Hasbro, etc._

Pinkie was kind of freaking out. She stared at the "Ribs" Sunny had offered her.

Although, perhaps not as much as if her hostess had been offering her actual meat. Sunny had laughed, but been very through in clearing that up. Pinkie actually felt silly for not realizing it before.

Back in Appleloosa, Pinkie's efforts to stop an imminent Pony-Buffalo conflict included her sang a song had included lyrics that both pony and buffalo diets were "Completely Vegetarian", which was true. Also, as the announcer at the "Running of the Leaves" that she had competed in Hot Dog eating contests, which was also true and not horrifying in the least.

Ponies were not omnivores. If nothing else, ponies were friends with most "food animals." There were laws about what kinds of animals (a lot of them insects and fish, although the law seemed strangely ambiguous about rabbits for some unexplained reason) were okay to feed to your carnivorous pet - which Pinkie had to review when she got Gummy for her birthday- based of how intelligent some of them were. At times, they might eat meat if nothing else was available. The smell of blood was unappetizing to ponies, however, it turned out that in small doses, ponies were less likely to become sick to ingesting meat, although it was generally theorized that they could not live on such food. Or at least, did not want to try.

There were times in history of ponies ingesting cooked and thinly sliced meat in the halls of griffons or other races that ate such food, only to turn away in disgust and horror when the truth became known. And yet, through dealing with these cultures, a number of meat imitations became popularized amongst ponies. The history books seemed to shy away from whether it was to appease the foreigners or because some ponies had actually…liked…what they ate.

Pinkie had recalled those moments in geography class when a much too graphic teacher told his students to beware that they ASK what's in the sandwiches they are selling in the shops of the territories of the griffons, the dragons, the hyenas, etc.

Still, the only fake she had even heard of were the hot dogs and there were…well, they were hot dogs. Granted, cupcakes were also cupcakes, but before this horrible day, the prospect of eating flesh, as in _real_ flesh of something that had parents and a face and stuff had simply not been on the radar, let alone that it might be disguised as something she thought she could trust. The idea of hiding _pony meat_ in a cupcake made her feel betrayed and disgusted. She wasn't going to eat anything that might actually **BE** a real meat product that doesn't even need to be disguised in appearance or taste.

So it was with humiliation that when she tried to explain to her hostess what was bothering her, Sunny Gold found it all hilarious.

"Hee hee. A pony's ribs? You sure have a wild imagination there! Ahahaha! Boy, was your face red!" Sunny giggled. "Seriously, that squeak you did was so adorable!"

"That…was supposed to be a horrified scream when you just took a giant bite out of the ribs to show me that they weren't actually bones and didn't contain bones..." Pinkie said quietly.

Sunny looked down at the barbeque sauce-drenched soybean based meat substitute with a giant bite mark in her hoof. Then she looked back up at Pinkie Pie with a confused expression. "Horrified?"

"I nearly fainted…" Pinkie grumbled. _Oh well…I suppose I could have traumatized her with the idea. We certainly wouldn't want that._

_**Oh no. She might calm the buck down and be tolerable to be around if that happened. What's hilarious is that now she thinks you're just a jumpy, naïve little foal now. Doesn't it just make your blood boil? You really should shut her up. **_This time, the violent tug Pinkie felt throughout her entire body actually hurt.

"Hehe…Twitchie-twitch!" Sunny giggled.

_Ow. I really need to get that checked out. I'll add it to the bottom of my ever growing to-do list of all the other things I need to do. At the top of that list is:_

_Getting something to eat. …If I want to eat anymore._

Pinkie's stomach growled loudly. It was almost as if it hadn't been able to properly digest anything all day before being abruptly emptied. Sunny could only giggle at this.

_Sigh. The jury has spoken. _

"Alright, let me see…I have, ooh! I have cupcakes! I forgot I had some!"

Pinkie fell down went boom.

Sunny just stared at the pink pony lying at her hooves with an amused look on her face for a while before asking "Is that a yes or a no?"

"That….didn't make me as unconscious as I hoped it would." Pinkie's muffled voice emitted from her face, which was firmly planted in the ground.

"Well….?"

"No sweets either. Thank you."

"You sure? They're chocolate cupcakes."

_Shut up…shut up…just shut up already. _Pinkie rose her head off the ground. "Quite sure. I'm…allergic to chocolate."

Sunny gasped "Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry to hear that! I think I'd die!"

"Yes, it's really too bad." Pinkie was slowly becoming aware of how limited and boring her remaining food choices were. And, she actually wasn't sure when the last time it was that she had _chocolate_ cupcakes now that she thought about it, it had been much too long...

Sweetie Belle's face flashed in her mind, followed by Meanie Pie decorating a chocolate cupcake with white and lavender icing, nearly turning Pinkie's stomach inside out before she forced her mind to focus on some other task. She addressed Sunny Gold once again. "What else do you have?"

"Well, alright, if you don't like ribs, then I brought other things. I packed some hayfries, but I…kind of ate them on the way to the park." Sunny gave a little sheepish blush. She continued to rummage through her basket until she pulled out a little yellow tin box. "Sorry. Oh! I have this nice salad. There are also these packets with salad dressing that came from a restaurant! I think. I can't remember the name for the life of me." Sunny looked thoughtful.

"I'll take it. Thank you very much for sharing." Pinkie bowed her head, crossing a foreleg over her chest, partially in a foppish show of respect, partially to bring her head that much closer to the tin box containing the leafy greens and vegetables.

"Okay, I'm glad you found something you like!" Sunny smiled as Pinkie gave a little grunt in between bites of lettuce.

As she began to eat the salad Sunny had offered her, which was almost as bland as the leaves she had eaten that morning since she decidedly left off the hideously sweet-smelling raspberry vinaigrette salad dressing, she started to think about sugar.

Pinkie wasn't sure why she felt equally adverse to all sweet things including fruit, but it was probably the incident with the punch that had left her afraid to touch anything that reminded her of the home that had turned into a place of danger and horrible memories.

"But really…how can you live without sweets? I mean, there's French horns and lemon pies and cookies and berry filled pastries and barely filled pastries and oh my gosh, they're all so GOOD!"

Pinkie felt the urge to change the subject. Immediately.

"Hey, Sunny? You said you could heat your food with your magic. How does that work, exactly?"

"Huh? Oh, right." Sunny pulled out the package of ribs, unwrapped them from their paper and stared intently at them. Her horn glowed with a yellow-ish aura, and a tiny orb of fire, no larger than a grape appeared before her. As Pinkie watched with interest, Sunny Gold created more fireballs and levitated them together, creating a ring of flame. Sunny lowered the fire to the fake rib meat and left it to hover above the meat substitute.

Sunny immediately looked up from her work, as if nothing could possibly go wrong at this point, and grinned "See? Easy!"

"That's ….neato." Pinkie blinked, staring at the slightly hypnotic ring of fire. "You sure you should be using that so close to paper and cloth?"

Sunny waved a hoof. "Oh, don't worry. Heating things with magic is my special talent! It'd be completely embarrassing to mess something like this up."

"Really." Pinkie deadpanned as she looked down at Sunny's food, which was making a loud sizzling noise. "Because your ring is kind of slowly dropping and it looks like your stuff might, ah, yup. Eeyup."

"Yup, what?" Sunny cocked her head to the side, still looking at Pinkie instead of what she was doing.

"Your 'ribs' are in fact on fire."

Sunny looked at Pinkie. Her eyes fell down to her now smoking picnic blanket.

Her magical fire continued to hover in place, but the heat had caused the package to crisp up and catch fire on its own. Sunny's riblets were sizzling and blackening around the edges as the flames started to burn through the paper and the blanket underneath…

She looked back at Pinkie Pie and gave a nervous grin while her face turned red. "Oops…"

"You should really put that out." Pinkie wore an apprehensive look on her face as she rose to her hooves, watching the fire spread across the blanket. "Like, right now. Before it spreads to the GRASS AND BURNS THE ENTIRE PARK DOWN, PLEASE."

"Er….right!" Sunny quickly shut her eyes and focused magic into her horn. Sunny's golden magic aura appeared around the entire fire, and contracted, extinguishing all the flames with a loud _hisssss_. She looked over the entire blanket for a moment before giving a sigh of relief.

"Problem solved!" Sunny cheered, smiling as if nothing of significance had happened.

Pinkie had no words. Sure, she could list of a number of dangerous things she had done in her life: Trying to cook Flambe for the first time without a supervising adult, deciding to fly over ghastly gorge in an untested flying machine she built herself, mindlessly chasing her rogue shadow into the Everfree Forest, deciding to give Rainbow Dash that "wake up call" in the same flying machine that when it was behind on its maintenance, the incident with the yogurt….

But this unicorn was a disaster waiting to happen.

"Hey, why are you looking at me like that? I got everything under…OH NO!" Sunny suddenly looked back to her picnic with a look of utter dismay.

"Oh no? What's wrong now?" Pinkie gasped.

"I BURNED MY RIBS! WAAAAH!" Sunny held up a blackened package that was eliciting a surprisingly sweet burning smell. Then, because the package was still hot she starting juggling it in her hooves. "Ow! Oh! Eeech! Hot!" As Sunny dropped the package and started to blow on her hooves Pinkie covered her nostrils to protect them from the smoke and the smell and gave a nervous giggle.

A giggle which gave way to a sort of quiet chuckle.

"ehehehehe *chortle* heh heh heh heh *snort* Ha ha ha aha…Oh, you're a riot, Sunny."

Sunny gasped. "You actually CAN laugh!"

"Huh?" Pinkie cocked her head to one side. "What do you mean?"

"Oh you know. You've been all grumpy and humorless. You haven't laughed or even smiled since we met. I was worried you were going to start cutting yourself at any moment now."

"Huh?" Pinkie frowned in confusion.

"Aw, frowny face…you had such a great smile, too." Sunny pouted.

_Well, EXCUSE ME for living a nightmare all day long. _Pinkie scowled at the unicorn, but she sighed and let her expression soften. _Don't take it out on her, she's just trying to be friendly. I'd do the same thing in her position._

…_Will I ever go back to normal?_

"Come on, give me another smile." Sunny grinned from ear to ear.

Pinkie forced the corners of her lips to turn upwards, but it came of as insincere this time.

"…That's…good." Sunny said, disappointment clear on her face.

Pinkie drooped. "I'm sorry, stuff's been happening. Really, really….stuffy stuff. It's not you or anything, I'm just not in the mood right now. Really."

"Hmm…" Sunny looked thoughtful at Pinkie Pie.

In the awkward silence that followed, Pinkie returned to her salad. _I'm sorry Sunny. I'll throw you the Welcome to Ponyville Party you deserve, just as soon as I get my friends up to speed, liberate Sugarcube Corner from the clutches of (quite literal) Evil, and deal with the fallout._ _..maybe figure out if I can go home or not._

_Actually…shouldn't Meanie Pie have greeted Sunny to Ponyville herself?_

"Say Sunny, are you sure you haven't heard of me before? I mean, I'm actually kind of known as a party animal around her."

"Party animal? You?"

"Well yes." Pinkie's voice was regaining a little bit of its usual chipper tone as she spoke with pride. "In fact, everypony knows me as a the friendliest and most fun-loving pony in all of Ponyville. I throw parties for absolutely everypony.."

Sunny snorted and broke out in riotous laughter. "AHAHAHA! That's a good one! I mean, no offense, but you're like the grumpiest stick in the mud ever! But you still have a great sense of humor, that's why I like you!"

"...Glad you feel that way." Pinkie's ears drooped and she was about to return to her salad when..._**Psst….Psst!**_

Pinkie blinked, and looked around. "Did you notice that?"

"You had another spasm, if that's what you mean." Sunny smiled. "It looks like fun. I think I'll try doing them now!"

Sunny grit her teeth, rose one fore hoof high in the air, and leaned to one side.

_**You know…It's awfully rude of you to ignore somepony when they are trying to talk to you.**_

Pinkie kept eating her salad.

_**Alright, fine. I don't want to hear what you have to say anyway. I've been doing some thinking, and I'd like to point some things out, because you can't be trusted to notice these things yourself.**_

Pinkie kept eating.

_**Why do you have your tail back? Think about this. That was the one characteristic that separated you from "Meanie Pie." And then, there was the fact that she said she was killing Sweetie Belle while she was stabbing you but you couldn't feel anything.**_

Pinkie swallowed, and did not take another bite.

_**All signs are starting to point back to-**_

_Shut up. _Pinkie shot Sunny, or rather, the _space occupied by Sunny_, an icy glare without really meaning too. Sunny looked like she was about to say something funny, but her expression darkened when she saw Pinkie's face and started to focus entirely on eating her food.

_**Fine. But before I go, I just want you to know. *ahem***_

The voice took on a sing song tone.

_**You killed Sweetie Belle, You killed Sweetie Belle~**_

_I didn't! Meanie Pie did! There is no evidence connecting her to me aside from what she just said! As far as I know she drugged me so I couldn't feel pain! And she even tried to get me to kill Dash as a way to escape, but why would she do that? Dash knows. She's only controlling me and who I can interact with but…_

Pinkie's eyes widened in realization.

_Something went wrong. I can interact with ponies now. No matter what is really happening now, I can get help from everypony now._

_**Yes. But then, she either killed Sweetie after wards she was done with you, meaning you were her last chance, or she already did it while Rainbow Dash was chasing you, meaning you served as a distraction.**_

"I KNOW!" Pinkie snarled, causing Sunny Gold to jump in surprise.

"Whoa! What's your deal?" Sunny questioned.

"Oh….um…nothing. Let's just say that I have…um…Toilet's syndrome?" Pinkie blushed, as she noticed the entire park was frowning at her.

"Oh….! Are you a Spy?" Sunny asked, suddenly excited.

"No, I…WHAT? Why would you…"

"Nevermind." Sunny winked and gave Pinkie as not-so-subtle "Shhhh…". Then she closed her eyes and waggled her head as she sang to herself. "Secret…AGENT Mare! Secret…AGENT Mare~…"

Since Sunny was not paying attention to her outburst anymore, Pinkie decided to _quietly _return to the much more relevant conversation.

_I know…_

_**Good. Just checking to see what that you know. It confirms what I suspected. That you are HESITATING TO REPORT YOUR CRIME TO YOUR FRIENDS, because you -know- what they will think of you. Gasp! How will you explain it to Rarity?**_

Pinkie fought back the urge to sob. She took several deep breaths, which did not go unnoticed by Sunny.

_Who ARE you? If you aren't going to help me, get out of my head!_

_**Oh, Pinkamena Diane Pie. You know very well who I am. And I can't leave. I've been here all along, being ignored.**_

Pinkie closed her eyes and thought about as many happy or even urgent things as she could, trying to drown the voice out.

_I DO have to hurry and tell Twilight what's happening. Meanie Pie might not know that I can be seen by other ponies yet, which means I better make my move sooner rather than later. I just need to avoid getting caught by Rainbow Dash._

Pinkie looked up at Sunny Gold. "Sunny, I know I've been acting weird all day, but its because I really, really do have a problem…and I need to talk to a certain friend of mine about it. As soon as possible, really. I was hungry, thank you for sharing your salad with me. You really have been very kind, but I need to go now. I just occurred to me how urgent this is."

"Aw…..Okay. You wanna take a ham sandwich for the road?" Sunny pulled out what appeared to be a complete dead ringer to the sandwiches Mrs. Cake made for the brunch with Princess Celestia the day Pinkie Pie stole the Princess' dessert right in front of her. A small part of her brain thought chimed in with a nostalgic: _Good Times…GOOD tiiiimes._

Pinkie shuttered. "No, really, that's okay."

"And also you're really missing out on the ribs…are you SURE you don't want a bite?" Sunny shoved the strange food item in her face before she could even reply.

A little too far. She brushed the meatless riblets across Pinkie's face. Pinkie let out a disgusted scream as the cold, sticky, reddish-brown sauce was stuck to her coat and the smell of burnt honey filled her nostrils.

"Oh…whoops? Hehe, let me clean that up for you!" Sunny blushed as she fetched

Pinkie had placed a hoof on her cheek where the sauce had smeared, and when she felt something sticky on them, she looked at her hoof, and saw that her hoof was covered in the reddish, not-quite-the-color-of-hardened-blood, substance all the way up to her fetlock. She noticed now that the sauce had a sweet, honey-like smell to it, and that threw her over the edge. The images came. Carrot Cake. Cup Cake. Gilda. Peppermint Twist. Berry Pinch. Snips. Snails. Pipsqueak. Carrot Top. Fluoride. Sweetie Belle. A dress made up of cutie marks and pegasi wings. Rainbow Dash.

"KYAAAAAAAAAA!" Pinkie's shriek grabbed the attention of all the ponies in the park, but she ignored them. She rolled around in the grass, constantly screaming and batting her face with her hooves, trying to get the vile…whatever-it-was OFF.

Sunny rolled her eyes. "Geez. What a neat freak."

This gathered some chuckles from the ponies around the area. Pinkie froze, a bewildered look in her eye as she calmed down enough to take in what was occurring. She rose to her hooves and looked around the park.

Everypony was laughing at her, like everything was some kind of joke.

"Stop laughing at me!" The ponies didn't stop. Pinkie was starting to feel humiliated. "Quit it! It's not funny!"

_**Aw…widdle bitty Pinkie Pie can't take hits as well as she gibs dem? **_The voice was back.

_I never humiliated anypony like this! _Pinkie's attempt at ignoring the voice, hoping it would go away was going up in smoke. And now at this time of public embarrassment and frustration, it sounded, if anything, _louder._ _I just surprised them a little…we always laugh afterwards…_

_**Oh really? Well, in that case: SURPRISE! YOU'RE A LAUGHING STOCK! NOW LAUGH, STUPID!**_

"Hee hee…here, let me clean you off if you're so upset about it." Sunny rose a napkin to Pinkie's face.

"Don't touch me!" Pinkie swatted the napkin away, sneering at the unicorn. Despite the expression on her face, she couldn't control the way her body was trembling as the ponies continued to laugh and laugh at her. It was really hurting. Didn't they understand what she had been through?

"Hey! I'm just trying to help! Why are you acting like this?" Sunny frowned, an expression of being greatly offended plastered on her face as she grit her teeth and stamped her hoof. The laughter around the park grew silent.

Pinkie hyperventilated, and pointed a shaky hoof at Sunny. "Y-you just…Something's up with you! YOU'RE NOT NORMAL! You…" Pinkie stopped. _What am I doing? Where am I even going with this?_ The expression on Sunny's face darkened at the accusatory gesture, and Pinkie Pie started to waver. She didn't really know what she wanted to say. She choked on her words as she held her head in her hooves. She started to sob. "I-I'm sorry! I'm. Just. So. Tired. Today's been nothing but awful."

"Oh, really? You met me today, HAVE I BEEN AWFUL! I'VE BEEN COMPLETELY NICE TO YOU AND WHILE YOU HAVE NICE MANNERS ONE SECOND, YOU GO AND DO…WHATEVER IT IS YOU DO THE NEXT!" Sunny yelled, making Pinkie shrink away from her. Sunny rose to her hooves, following Pinkie as she retreated. "And now you're leaving without saying goodbye?"

Pinkie was the one who was annoyed with the unicorn, how did this reversal happen? She started to suspect that Sunny didn't have her best interests at heart. She backed away a little faster now. "P-please! You're scaring me! You don't know what I've seen! I've seen little foals covered in the own blood, and then I die and then I'm not dead and Dashie hates me, and, and…" Pinkie took a moment to scream to the heavens. "MY BEST FRIEND CUT OFF MY TAIL TODAY!"

"…." Sunny stared at Pinkie, an incredulous look on her face. Then she deadpanned the obvious. "Your tail is right there on your plot."

"I-I know…but it really happened. Really…" Pinkie slinked back, averting her eyes from Sunny's fiery gaze.

"Don't run away!" Sunny barked. Pinkie stopped at this, and fell to the ground with a squeak, and began shaking. Sunny looked at her silently for a moment, visibly growing more annoyed with Pinkie for some unimaginable reason.

But all Pinkie was doing was sobbing quietly, blinking constantly to help keep her eyes glued to the golden mare who had grown so aggressive in such a short period of time.

"AND STOP CRYING! YOU AREN'T EVEN HURT YET!" Sunny roared, as her horn lit up with a bright jet of golden flame which came to life with a mighty roar. The fire shot straight upwards and Pinkie felt a wave of intense heat flow into her face. This caused everypony in the park to run in all directions, leaving their picnics behind. "She's lost control of her magic again, everypony RUN!" someone in the distance yelled.

In the face of this sudden display of destructive magic as well as the general pandemonium that had taken over the park, Pinkie shrieked and leapt to her hooves, running away like Sunny was some sort of fire breathing monster. Probably because on a certain level, she was.

"Whoa…oops." Sunny took notice of the wayward plume of flame and powered down her horn. "I hate it when-HEY! Don't run away from me! I'm not done talking to you!"

Pinkie didn't turn around. She just ran with all the strength she had left.

* * *

><p>The conference room of Ponyyville's town hall had been significantly redecorated. Its current resident thought the gray carpet and beige-and-green walls weren't colorful enough, so she had a few reflections, including the Mayor herself, help her hang streamers all over the ceiling, as well as place a large banner on the wall.<p>

The banner read "Farewell to Pinkie Pie!"

However, the most noticeable difference was the enormous television screen that had been rolled into place. Also, the table had been removed and replaced with a very large comfy pink couch, upon which sat a Pink earth pony, a remote control which only had two very large buttons -one pink, one blue-, as well as an assortment of snacks ranging from popcorn to pop rocks to an unopened box full of freshly baked cupcakes with white, pink, and lavender icing.

Shadamena "Meanie" Diane Pie watched stared at her surveillance monitor, a puzzled expression crossed her face as she watched the puce mare travel out of view.

"Well…THAT was certainly unexpected! I just wanted Sunny to annoy Sweetie Pie, not chase her away. Maybe I should've taken away her anger as well, but then, how is she supposed to turn on Sweetie Pie when the time comes? I wanted everything set up so she could build Sweetie back up. She would either be an annoying sidekick or actually become real friends with Sweetie Pie. In either case, when she abandons Sweetie, it will hurt. Why, I might not even need to encroach her further and she cracks like glass. I don't know if I just wasted all that time and effort making Sunny now, however." Meanie Pie sighed.

"Oh well, might as well watch what's on Channel Dashie."

She pressed the blue button on her remote, and immediately found herself grinning from ear to ear at the completely horrified expressions on both of the pegasi on screen ("Ah! Looks like I changed the channel just in time!"). The angle was positioned somewhere low to the ground, but anyone watching could clearly make out both Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy, as well as the bloody body of Pinkie Pie on the floor. Rainbow was staring at the yellow pony, her rose-colored eyes wide and her mouth agape, wordlessly shaking her head "no." From the speaker came an ear-rending screech as "Fluttershy" screamed as loud as she possibly could.

"_AAAAAAAHHHHHHH!"_

From somewhere off-camera, there came the sound of galloping hooves as somepony ran into Sugarcube Corner. The source of the noise was revealed to be Twilight Sparkle as she came into view.

"Fluttershy! What's wrong? Why did…you…." Twilight's sentence was cut off by her horrified gasp. She looked from the body of Pinkie Pie to Rainbow Dash.

One look at the miserable and desperate expression on Rainbow Dash's face filled Shadamena with a warm fuzzy feeling. Rainbow, clearly trying to explain herself to her "friends," made various noises, but nothing that resembled language. Fluttershy was backing away in horror behind Twilight. After several tries, Rainbow finally found her voice.

"_I-it wasn't me Twilight! I know what this looks like, but it really, really isn't me! I-i-i…" _Rainbow Dash stammered for a moment, a bewildered expression on her face. Then she sat back on her haunches, pointed a hoof at the stitches on her chest and screamed her defense.

"_I WAS ATTACKED TOO! I'VE BEEN BUCKING DISSECTED! LOOK AT MY SCAR!"_

"Reflections # 5 and 12, disregard the surgical scar on Dashie's chest. There is no scar. She doesn't have so much as a paper cut." Shadamena said with a laid back voice, and then she clopped her hooves together with a smirk.

"_What. Scar?" _the dream-unicorn that resembled Twilight Sparkle asked Rainbow Dash.

"_What do you mean which scar?" _Rainbow exasperated as she looked down, confirming that yes, the scar was still there. _"THE ONE RIGHT HERE! Oh Luna…I can hardly bear to look at it."_

"_THERE'S NOTHING THERE!" _cried 'Twilight.'

"_YES THERE IS!" _Rainbow shot back_. "How can you not see it!"_

Meanie Pie covered her mouth her hooves, chuckling silently to herself.

"_Rainbow…this isn't funny. If you have some sort of evidence you aren't guilty for…for…Oh Celestia! WHY, RAINBOW DASH! Why Pinkie Pie!"_

"_T-twilight…it is her. L-look at her hoof!" _the yellow pegasus trembled as she pointed at Rainbow's fetlock.

Rainbow looked down at her hooves along with Twilight. It didn't take long for her

Shadamena could see it. The moment the lights switched on in Rainbow Dash's head and she realized. Her face just screamed "Uh oh." The pink earth pony watching the drama unfold fell into another giggling fit.

"_Girls…please..."_ Rainbow rasped, her throat obviously much drier than it had been at the start of the conversation. _"there was a package…"_

"Hee hee…I'm so naughty!" Shadamena buried her face into the popcorn bowl and when she emerged, she downed it with another sip from the straw in her sarsaparilla.

She was aware she was eating constantly throughout the day like some kind of glutton, considering all the cupcakes she had baked recently, but for some reason or another she just couldn't stay full. It probably had something to do with the fact that all the food she ate wasn't real –not even the bits of Sweetie Pie she ate were real-, or that she had never eaten anything ever in her life, just being Pinkie's Shadow and only knowing what hunger and taste were through what Pinkie ate until today.

Or maybe there was simply something about _her_ that was simply bottomless. An endless hunger that would never fill even when she had escaped to the real world.

Besides…a captivating performance like this _demanded _popcorn.

* * *

><p>"Please…there was a package…" Rainbow Dash began to plead her case.<p>

"WHAT package?" Twilight Sparkle's voice was harder than Rainbow had ever heard it spoken, and it made her flinch away. "Rainbow, you are still holding the weapon right there under your hoof! With Pinkie's tail wrapped around your fetlock like some sort of prize! What can any package ANYWHERE possible hold that would explain this? You're just trying to get me to drop my guard! You about to do it to Fluttershy before I came in, too weren't you!"

Rainbow looked down at the knife on the floor, as if noticing it for the first time. _Stupid! I'm so stupid! _She looked back up. "I didn't mean to…I'm sorry! I pulled the knife out of Pinkie, but I. Did. Not. Do. It. I…I forgot I had it." Rainbow stepped back off of the knife.

Almost immediately, a magical aura encased it and it levitated over to 'Twilight' and 'Fluttershy', away from Rainbow.

Sensing that it was better for her if she kept talking, Rainbow added a quick snippet. "The package had Pinkie's tail and a message from the real killer. I…thought I could save her. I took the tail with me because I didn't want to risk losing it…. It's a complicated story."

"I…I really don't want to believe you'd do this. She was your friend Rainbow! You always went around town getting into enough mischief to give the Crusaders a run for their money!" 'Twilight' grit her teeth and blinked, fighting away tears so she could scowl at her former friend some more. "Now, I'll ask again, WHAT'S with this Package you are talking about?"

"I-its at my house! I got the tail in a box along with a letter from the real killer! We can go there right now! You have to believe me!" Rainbow sobbed.

("Ah do, Sugarcube." Unheard by all, the Jackanapes nuzzled Rainbow Dash, or rather she nuzzled through her, having nothing to oppose her presence. "It ain't true, but that ain't yer fault. It ain't you who's lying. It's this whole twisted place!")

"Oh…how convenient. You claim there's evidence excusing what you've done back where we can't get it without letting you out of our sight." Twilight glared at Dash. "Just how stupid do you think I am, Rainbow?"

Rainbow swallowed, mostly to try and hydrate her dry throat. "You…you can't just ignore what I have to say! Check the basement of Sugarcube Corner! That's right here! There has to be something that's still there! There just has to be!"

"And that's another distraction, Rainbow. You could just be trying to silence us."

Rainbow voice cracked in exasperation. "Th-then WHY would I let you take the knife? Wouldn't it have made better sense to keep it or even attack you with it mid-sentence?"

"You could've just forgotten..." Twilight looked down at the weapon apprehensively. The her expression hardened and she looked back up at Rainbow. "There's still too much evidence against you! You must've done it!"

_I…she's not going to believe me! That monster got me completely! She probably already emptied her basement of all the evidence, and now this Twilight and this Fluttershy will think that I'm her and she did it! I'm making myself…her…US look bad even as I stand here! But I can't think of what to say! The monster is going to get away! How do I explain that there are two Pinkie Pies? That…that I was invisible and there are two Rainbow Dashes? I gotta say something! Think Rainbow Dash, Think!_

Rainbow sat there, gritting her teeth and shutting her eyes and she just tried to think as hard as she could. This didn't seem to work very well, and all of her desperate searching for a counter argument only ended in a headache. Twilight didn't look like she had very much patience left.

"Twilight, its…its just circa…circular…circumcised…" Rainbow couldn't think of the word, she was just feeling more humiliated by the second. _I'm…I'm too stupid! Pinkie's killer is going to get away and I'll be blamed for her crimes and its all because I can't say one stupid word! _

"Circumstantial evidence?" Twilight asked, still staring daggers at Rainbow.

"Y-YES, that! You just found me with the body…." Rainbow's voice was cracking, and it was becoming difficult to talk, but she held firm, trying with all of her might to keep from breaking down and crying. She took a sharp intake of breath when she found she didn't have enough air. All of the tension in her body was so great, she was forgetting to breathe.

Twilight interjected at this point. "And _your_ knife covered in blood! Did you forget that time I surprised you from your nap and you pulled this on me? I recognized it immediately! You're the owner of the murder weapon! You…no, I shouldn't even still be talking to you. You're dangerous! GET OUT, RAINBOW DASH! GET OUT AND DON'T COME BACK!" 'Twilight' levitated the knife up into the air and pointed the tip of the blade towards Rainbow Dash.

_My knife? Oh no. This really is THAT knife! The one Crazy Dash used! Did she almost go nuts on her Twilight one time? No wonder she doesn't trust me! This is hopeless! _"Tw-twilight…please, I know who the killer really is. You won't believe me at first, but you owe me a chance to-AAh!" Rainbow pleas were cut off when the knife flew towards her and stabbed the floorboards dangerous near where she had just been standing.

"LIES!" 'Twilight' screamed at Rainbow Dash. "YOU'RE JUST TRYING TO SAVE YOUR OWN SKIN, RAINBOW DASH! "

Rainbow trembled at the volume of 'Twilight's' voice, her voice shaking. "Th-they AREN'T lies! Sh-she's still out there! Y-you're still in danger!" Rainbow attempted to readjust her stance so she could put her hoof down, when she stepped on something cold.

Rainbow Dash's brain narrowed down the list of things the "something cold" could possibly be in an instant, and within said instant, she felt her blood run cold and her stomach twist into knots.

"GET AWAY FROM PINKIE PIE!" 'Twilight' snapped, pulling the body of the earth pony away from Dash and towards her, dropping her beside 'Fluttershy', who squeaked in shock of having the dead pony positioned next to her.

"I, I, I…I didn't !" Rainbow tried to stammer out her words, but now that Pinkie's unmoving, cold, blood-covered, tailless, I-just-stepped-on-her-face-and-made-her-lips-pull-apart-a-little-wider-open-a-little-wider-so-I-can-see-that-tooth-she-is-missing, eviscerated cadaver was in full view again, the realization hit her already fraying emotional state like a sledgehammer.

Dead. Pinkie Pie was dead. No more parties. No more pranks. No more silly randomness. The nightmare she had on Gummy's birthday had become her reality. She went into this horrible place to save her, and she failed. She was Pinkie's only hope and She. Had. Failed!

"P-pinkie…PINKIE PIE! I'm *choke* I'M SO SORRY I'M SUCH A FAILURE!" Rainbow Dash officially lost it and galloped over towards the two living ponies, eyes blurring as she struggled to focus on the dead one she just had to hold again. She knew she had already checked, and that Pinkie was very clearly dead, but she just…she just…

"STOP!" 'Twilight' barked. She used her magic to seize a nearby end table and she immediately sent it flying, legs first, into Rainbow Dash. Rainbow half-screamed, half-grunted at being stopped so suddenly. 'Twilight' took one second to catch her breath and yelled "Get. OUT!"

The table took off at a breakneck speed, scraping the body of the shrieking pegasus who was tangled up in its legs along the floor. Rainbow made pitiful sounds and begged for her friend to stop. ….

…..She began making what sounded like a plea to 'Fluttershy' when she was hurled out of the door of Sugar Cube Corner.

The door locked behind her.

The length of her back aching from her bruises and covering her face with her hooves as gave out gasping sobs, Rainbow Dash tried to collect herself. She heard 'Twilight' say something about giving her 30 seconds head start, but she wasn't in any position to listen.

(The Jackanapes ran through the locked door, a worried expression on her face.)

From the ground, Dash grunted and lifted her head to scream at the door. "THAT ISN'T EVEN YOUR PINKIE PIE! I'M NOT YOUR RAINBOW DASH! THE REAL KILLER IS YOUR PINKIE PIE! TWILIGHT, OPEN THIS DOOR! Please….."

There was no answer.

("Dash…Ah know you can't hear me, but you need to hurry up and understand that the real Pinkie is still out there. …Ah hope. At least she ain't that thing in this building here…Wait…NO! Not another one! Shoo! Git! RD doesn't need to deal with you right now!")

After Dash took several deep breaths, she picked herself off the ground, a frustrated expression on her face. The bruises that covered her body protested her movement, but she was too frustrated to pay them much heed. She looked at the door for a second, then grit her teeth, turned around, preparing to kick it down when suddenly she found realized that a young filly sitting on her scooter next to an empty white box had come into view just as she looked at the street in front of her.

("Aw…no.")

Rainbow Dash froze, her mind blank. She simply could not process how to react right at this moment.

"O-oh! Hi Rainbow Dash!" 'Scootaloo' grinned from ear to ear as she sat up straighter to and looked up from the cupcake she was eating to greet her idol.

The rainbow-dyed cupcake with sky blue icing with candy-clouds. It looked familiar. Dangerously familiar.

"…What are you doing with a table?" Scootaloo cocked her head to one side. Then she noticed the expression on Rainbow Dash's face. "H-hey…what's wrong?" 'Scootaloo' put down her cupcake for a moment as she looked up at Rainbow Dash in bewilderment. "A-are you…crying? But, you NEVER cr-"

"CUPCAKE!" Rainbow very nearly shrieked the word as much as spoke it. Her eyes widened in horror, remembering what became of the other Rainbow Dash.

"W-what? You mean, this cupcake?" 'Scootaloo' looked down at her treat. "Oh, I got about half a batch of them from Pinkie Pie before she left the shop, she said I could have them, and that they were tastier than her usual batch. I normally can't tell the difference, but I think she was right about these. I just couldn't stop eating them! I didn't even notice this was my last one…"

Rainbow Dash began to hyperventilate and tremble with fury. She swatted the cupcake out of 'Scootaloo's' hooves.

"DON'T. EAT. THAT." Rainbow stamped on the cupcake where it lay on the ground. She barely got finished when she felt a sudden twist in her stomach and she vomited up its contents, which was nothing but a small trickle of yellow fluid which scorched her throat.

'Scootaloo' looked shocked and hurt and more than a little frightened from all of this. "R-Rainbow Dash?" her little voice trembled.

"Pinkie. Pie." Rainbow's voice was scratchy and wheezy, but through the unnerving twitch her left eye was developing, she gave 'Scootaloo' a look of dead seriousness. "Tell. Me. Where."

"Rainbow Dash, you're scaring me." 'Scootaloo' shook before the not-entirely sane older pegasus.

"Its important, Scoots. Need to see her right now." Rainbow's eye twitched once more.

'Scootaloo' swallowed. "I…I last saw her-"

Just then, a loud noise made the two (three?) ponies jump as Twilight Sparkle's magically amplified voice filled the air.

"ATTENTION PONYVILLE! THIS IS AN S.O.S. AS WELL AS A WARNING OF PUBLIC SAFETY! THE WEATHER PEGASUS KNOWN AS RAINBOW DASH IS A KILLER! SHE IS HIGHLY DANGEROUS AND MUST BE APPREHENDED IMMEDIATELY! SHE IS RIGHT OUTSIDE SUGARCUBE CORNER, WHERE SHE HAS FLUTTERSHY AND I TRAPPED INSIDE! SEND HELP A.S.A.P.!"

Rainbow Dash felt her heart sink. 'Scootaloo' looked at her with an expression of absolute terror. Rainbow shook her head, and spoke in the quietest, most calming voice she could manage "No. No, no no, no…"

"AAAAAAAIIIIIEEEEEE!" 'Scootaloo' shrieked as she leapt unto her scooter and beat her wings to get away, not even noticing that she left her helmet behind.

"SCOOTS! COME BACK! PLEASE COME BACK! WHERE DID YOU SEE PINKIE? WHERE?" Rainbow called out to the fleeing pegasus filly. 'Scootaloo' rounded the corner, showing no signs of stopping or slowing down.

(And failed to notice that from out of nowhere, ANOTHER Scootaloo wearing her helmet, and seeming quite calm and completely undisturbed by the loud announcement of her idol now being an accused killer as well BEING RIGHT THERE IN PLAIN SIGHT, buzzed right passed her. The Jackanapes did notice this, and was puzzled. "What…wait…didn't she just-?")

Rainbow took one more glance at the door to Sugarcube Corner…

Tears stinging her eyes, she looked back to the streets of Ponyville and ran off after 'Scootaloo', who just disappeared around a corner, with a grunt.

(Not noticing that she ran _through_ the second Scootaloo in her mad dash to get to the first. She phased through the filly like she wasn't even there. The other Scootaloo went the opposite direct as Dash, and so, the Jackanapes decided that the best way to help would be to follow the thing that nopony but her could see.)

She flapped her wings, which still stung from being partially crushed under the legs of the end table, trying to lift herself off the ground as she caught sight of Scootaloo.

"Scoots! You have to help me! Come back! Come back! Don't run away!" Rainbow pleaded.

"No! Get away, Rainbow Dash! GET AWAY!" 'Scootaloo' shrieked.

Rainbow took flight, determined to reach 'Scootaloo'. Once she was in the air, she closed in on the filly and…

…and was sidelined by another pegasus ramming into her. "Get away from my baby, you MONSTER!"

"Oof!" Rainbow crashed into the ground, knocking the wind out of her. She steadied herself and tried to get back to her feet, but was head butted by the assailant. Staggering back and falling onto her side, Rainbow groaned, massaging her temples with her hooves. She looked up at her attacker, recognized the face from that one night she had to take Scootaloo home after she had stayed out way past her curfew and explain to her parents why she was so late.

"Mom?" Rainbow Dash heard 'Scootaloo's' distant voice ask.

The pegasus who was standing over Rainbow Dash with fuchsia-rose colored eyes that were drill holes into her very soul had a light khaki coat, a raspberry colored mane and tail in a slightly poofy style with streaks of cameo pink. Although her flank was quite out of sight from where Rainbow Dash was standing, she recalled that this mare had three white tornadoes as her cutie mark. It was Scootaloo's mother.

'Dizzy Twister' loomed over Rainbow Dash, regarding her silently. She was young for a mother, and smaller than Rainbow, AND had a reputation for being a little goofy, but she was the better half of a decade older than the cyan pegasus, and she seemed to be projecting a powerful vibe of an awful authority about her. Dash could feel in her bones how much trouble she was in.

"I wasn't…I _wouldn't_…._I couldn't bear to see Scootaloo hurt too! I just needed her to-_". Rainbow swallowed a lump in her throat, determined to speak clearly. "I know this looks bad, and I'm sorry I scared her, but please!" Rainbow put her forehooves together "Please let me ask her one question."

'Dizzy' looked up for a moment at something, then looked back down at Rainbow Dash for a moment before silently stepping off. Rainbow turned on her side, and watched as 'Dizzy' pulled a shivering 'Scootaloo' into a hug as she comforted her daughter. The pair showed no signs of leaving.

The smallest shadow of a hopeful smile spread across Rainbow's face, and her eyes began to water. Keeping her hooves clasped together, she spoke her gratitude that finally, somepony was giving her a chance. "You…you mean you will-?"

Just then, a lasso whirled through the air and looped around Rainbow's forehooves, snaring them together. Rainbow let out a small shrieking noise as her hopeful smile turned into a horrified gasp.

"It's alright, Dizzy. We'll be taking THIS ONE of yer hooves now. You go on ahead and get that filly of yers home." Rainbow turned in the direction of the voice. 'Applejack' came into view, followed by several other ponies from around town.

"Goodbye Rainbow Dash" came a voice on Rainbow's other side, back where 'Dizzy' had been comforting 'Scootaloo'. Rainbow turned back towards the mother and child. Scootaloo was standing a little closer to Rainbow. "I thought you were cool, but I guess you really aren't."

The words stung Rainbow's heart, but she bit through her teeth. This was her last chance. She had Scootaloo talking to her. "Squirt…Twilight thinks I killed Pinkie Pie…at Sugarcube Corner. But you said you she was leaving to go somewhere else, didn't you? Aren't you…a little confused by that? Please tell me where she was going." Just then, 'Dizzy' took off to the air, carrying Scootaloo in her hooves. Rainbow pulled herself up and flapped her wings to try and follow them. "W-wait! Please come back! Scoots! SCOOOOOTA-AAH!" Her attempt to follow them was cut short as 'Applejack' pulled on the rope, looping its length around Rainbow's hind hooves as she went. "NO! LET ME GO! APPLEJACK, SHE KNOWS WHERE THE REAL KILLER IS!"

"NO MORE LIES!" 'Applejack' slapped Rainbow Dash across the face. "What really happened? Did Pinkie Pie beat you in a speed eating contest or something? Did she forget to praise one little trivial thing you did? WELL?"

Rainbow Dash lay on the ground silent and unmoving. Her head rested where it landed from being slapped.

"Nothin' to say for yerself? Fine. Ah always knew you were no good, but Ah never expected something like this." 'Applejack' sneered. "Ya always just lie around all day, expectin' adulation for some fancy flyin' and occasionally kicking a cloud somewhere! Pinkie Pie at least livened things up around town. And what even was that nonsense you were asking about Scootaloo? Were ya tryin' to say that Pinkie was still alive?"

Rainbow didn't say anything, and 'Applejack' couldn't see her eyes under her bangs. Not programmed to pick up the dangerously silent tension coming from the pinned pegasus, 'Applejack' continued ranting until an interruption it would register occurred.

"Because that's just….crazy! No, it ain't crazy… It's STUPID! Ah knew ya weren't the most creative pony in Equestria, but that's some new kinda stupid right there. Aren't you ashamed? Is that why you ain't looking me in the eye right now? Because-"

Rainbow looked up with a coy smile, her eyes still red from tears she had shed only minutes ago. "Hey, Applejack…you got something on your face."

'Applejack' lowered her ear towards Rainbow. "Huh? What are you mumblin' abou-AAAAOOOOWWWWCH!" She was cut off as Rainbow, who had slowly been contracting her body under 'Applejack', thrust herself off the ground and slammed her cranium into the side of the earth pony's head. 'Applejack

Rainbow didn't waste any time. She took off immediately. Her forehooves were still bound by the lasso, but she was free to hover above the crowd. "She killed my friend….SHE KILLED MY FRIEND!"

"She's getting away! Somepony stop her!" Rose pointed at the sky.

"Don't get in my way! I'm not even from your Ponyville, so I don't owe you anything! I might be too late to save Pinkie, but I can still avenge her! And I won't forgive anypony who gets in my way!" Rainbow shouted down to the mob below, seething with anger.

"She's going to go kill somepony else! The horror! The horror!" Lily shrieked.

"You're a bad pony…why are you doing all of this? Pinkie made the best muffins, or at least when Applejack wasn't helping her…" 'Ditzy Doo' fluttered up towards Dash…

"Not interested." Rainbow deadpanned, and swooped to the side to get around 'Ditzy', but was blocked as the other pegasus moved with her. Finally she gave 'Ditzy' a dangerous look. "I won't tell you again. Get out of my way."

"She was completely innocent! Sure she was a little hyperactive and quirky, but she was ray of joy in everypony's lives and just wanted to make ponies smile!" 'Ditzy Doo' sniffed. "How could you do it, HOW!"

Rainbow's expression softening just a little bit, but still determined. "That depends…one which Pinkie Pie you are talking about."

"You on the other hoof have been nothing but mean and…eggo-tistical! You're always huffing and puffing and taking offense at anypony over the smallest things! What, did you pick up on how much more we liked Pinkie than you? Was that why you did what you did, OUT OF JELLY-SY!"

Rainbow looked taken aback for a moment, but recovered with a vicious snarl. "SHUT UP, DERPY! YOU AND THIS ENTIRE WORLD ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR WHAT HAPPENED TO PINKIE PIE!" She moved to tackle 'Ditzy' when suddenly she felt a mighty tug on the rope still tied around her hooves. "What the…hey!"

"Hold it right there, pardner!" 'Applejack' spoke through gritted teeth as she pulled on the rope. "We ain't gonna let'cha get away that easy!"

Other ponies were moving in, about to assist 'Applejack'. Rainbow, however, was through playing around. Taking off at top speed, she drug 'Applejack' through the dirt for a few feet before the apple farmer lost her grip and fell into the mud.

As soon as the traction on the rope slackened, Rainbow was momentarily disoriented by the sudden lurch of speed as the resistance she had been fighting against simply vanished, before rolling with it and ascending into the skies. She flew away from the crowd, out towards the woods that surrounded the town.

_Alright…alright. I feel like shit, but there's no rush. I'll just hide in the forest and get this rope off of me while the heat dies down._

_There's gotta be a road out of town or something, even if this version of Ponyville is different from how much of it is surrounded by forest…_

_I'm so sorry, Pinkie. But I'll get her. I owe that much to you. I'll get her if I have to hunt her down all over Equestria._

* * *

><p>Back at Shadow Ponyville Town Hall, the Mastermind was still watching events play out on screen. She had also finished her popcorn, and was wearing the bag as a hat.<p>

Meanie Pie smirked. "Well! I was willing to lock Dashie up and have her Scootaloo reflection come around and save her…." Meanie wore a sarcastic expression of dismay and raised her voice to an even higher pitch than normal. "Oh, Rainbow Dash, I'm sorry I didn't listen! You're right, it doesn't make sense! There ARE two Pinkie Pies! I never should've doubted you, you're my hero! Can you ever forgive me?" And then she lowered her voice to a gruff-but-scratchy voice to mimic Rainbows

"Why of course I will! I always knew I could count on you, squirt! Oh no. Squirt! Look out! NOOOOOO! Oh Celestia, why? I can't be responsible for another innocent dying! Why, why, WUHAHAHAHAHA!" Meanie Pie broke down into maniacal cackling. "Oh, oh…and then after I broke the neck, right in front of Dashie, who would be fumbling with the key, I would drink some of her-"

"H-hey" said a giggling voice from behind the couch, causing Meanie Pie to jump. Looking over her should, she saw Scootaloo leaning on the side of the couch for support. "What are you laughing about? Did something funny happen?"

Meanie Pie blinked for a moment. Then recognition hit. _These are… Sweetie Pie's memories of Scootaloo. She has to stop jumping in on me like this._ "Oh right. You. I promised some cupcakes, didn't I?"

"Yep!…So, what WHERE you laughing at?" asked 'Scootaloo' with a look of childish curiousity.

Meanie Pie dropped the package with White-and-lavender cupcakes onto 'Scootaloo's' back and spoke with a dry, uninterested tone. "Reflection #387, you will stop asking me unimportant questions, go to the north end of town, find the straight-maned Pinkie Pie, who should be around there, and only when you find her do you eat the cupcakes in front of her. Then, well, you know the rest."

'Scootaloo' dropped all pretenses of emotion and responded with a dull monotone and a blank expression. "Yes, mistress Shadamena."

"And be sure to cry if Pinkie takes then away from you. She gave them to you, after all, and after she made you wait for half a day before giving you some, too!"

"Yes, mistress Shadamena."

"There's a good filly. Now, run along." As 'Scootaloo' did so, Shadamena turned towards the screen, which displayed the mob that had nearly captured Rainbow Dash, now wearing blank expressions and standing around doing nothing. She didn't actually have to face anywhere, but it helped focus her mind.

Shadamena spoke with a serious and to-the-point tone that was rather out of character for her. "All of Rainbow Dash's reflections, everypony Dashie knows….patrol all of Shadow Ponyville up and down looking for her. Split into teams, and convenerge on her location if she shows up. Reflections #1 through 200, I want you to intensify your patrols around the northern end. Since Sweetie Pie cannot see you, you shouldn't interfere with the operations there. After an hour has passed, all of you just…you know what? Just vanish. Turn the lights on in your houses, but vanish."

Shadamena felt something like a great rumbling far off, all over Shadow Ponyville, as her connection with all the reflections allowed her to sense that her orders were acknowledged. The ponies on the screen shouted in unison. "Yes, Mistress Shadamena!"

"Good. Now…." Shadamena trailed off. She whispered under her breath a question so quiet that nopony should be able to hear with their ears. "Scootaloo? Scooty 387, are you still here in the Town Hall?"

For a moment, Shadamena just sat in silence.

Now, something one should note about Pinkie Sense is that it can't predict the future with any level of specificity. Something's going to fall, Somepony is about to swing open a door, Something scary is about to happen, "DO A BARREL ROLL!", Something bright and multi-colored (or bald) went this way very fast….but never something as helpful as say: "Somepony is hiding from you in close vicinity at this very moment."

However, it _CAN_ alert you that you are not alone.

And now that Shadamena thought about it, even though it might've just been a little itch, she hadn't felt QUITE alone for some time now.

Shadamena got up, she headed towards the exit to her room…and felt that she was not only "not alone", but she was feeling significantly _Less Alone _than she had felt sitting on her couch.

And then, she started to feel a little bit _More Alone_. She snarled like a beast and ran in the directions that made her feel _Less Alone._

"Who are you? Is that you, Sweetie Pie? Did I take my eyes off of you for too long? Come out, come out, where ever you are!" _It can't possibly be Shadash…_

* * *

><p>"OH CRAP, OH CRAP, OH CRAP, OH CRAP, OH CRAP, OH CRAP, OH CRAP, OH CRAP…." Shadash cursed as she grabbed the closest weapon she could find in the closet she was hiding out in: ….a coat hanger.<p>

She tried to steel herself for the coming onslaught, mostly just hoping Shadamena would just get here and find her already, but silently hoping that maybe she would think whatever tipped her off would've just been her imagination. She was only really sure of her plan when Shadamena didn't know she was coming. What all COULD that creepy "Pinkie Sense" of hers do?

The moments ticked by, not quite in silence as she heard the hoofsteps running this way and that, things being knocked over. All she could see was darkness, and she didn't know what any of the sounds she was hearing meant.

"Come on out...come on, it'll be fun. I'll make you cupcakes~!" Shadamena called.

Shadamena took her by surprise last time, but now that she was on the move and looking for her, glimpses of what her Shadempathy had told her about Shadamena were returning. She shuddered. She really should just bust open this door and confront the freak, but she had no small amount of doubt that Shadamena couldn't just teleport behind her and bash her over the head with a blunt instrument she pulled from her hammerspace. And then she would wake up and Shadamena would take her sweet, sweet time introducing Shadash to a new definition of pain.

Shadamena had a very special "aura" to her. While Shadow Sparkle could actually touch you even if you were just a shadow and SHE was just a shadow, Shadarity had a smile than made Shadash shiver, and Shadowshy

"Here pony, pony, pony~! Be a good little cupcake and come ouuuuut~"

She looked down at her pitiful coathanger. _What the hell am I supposed to do with this? Give her an abortion? Damn her for being the first one in and being the only one able to create stuff._

…_Hey, wait. I don't hear her anymore._

After several moments of deliberation, Shadash opened the closet door, pointed her coat hanger in every possible direction of attack, saw the entrance to a stairway to the top floor of the Town Hall.

_Wait…what if she's up there, lying in wait for me?_

Suddenly, she heard a crash coming from downstairs. "YOU WON'T ESCAPE FROM ME!"

_Well, that solves that. _Without another thought, Shadash sped up the stairs into the highest floor of Shadow Ponyville's Town Hall, slamming the door behind her.

* * *

><p>The Jackanapes ran through the streets of the twisted Ponyville, alarmed that after all this time, she had somehow been SEEN. She knew that, despite actually having a <em>face<em> this time, this was NOT the real Pinkie Pie, and was the one behind this. And those disgusting things she had said about doing to Scootaloo…the way she was manipulating that mob on the screen to hurt Rainbow Dash. But it was more than that. Something about this pony was giving her a really bad vibe and making her skin crawl. She didn't really want to _touch _this thing that looked like Pinkie Pie.

And now it was chasing her. Yelling something about cupcakes.

…or rather she had been. The Jackanapes had noticed that things had gotten distressingly quiet in the last few minutes. Looking back, she saw that Creepy Pie was no longer right behind her.

_What? …Where'd she go? Did Ah lose her? Come to think on it, Ah ain't sure she actually saw me, at least she wasn't too keen on looking directly at me. Where'd she go?_

The Jackanapes slowed down, and stepped cautiously, looking all around.

"P-Pinkie? You still around? Ah don't know if y'all can hear me as well." The Jackanapes' voice.

All she got was silence.

"Alright then. Ah guess Ah'll just head back to Zecora and the gang and tell them what Ah've seen. Ah ain't gonna let ya keep lyin' to Dash about Pinkie bein' dead. We'll save the both of them, ya hear!"

Silence.

"Ah guess not." The Jackanapes picked up the pace, and rounded a corner, starting to believe that the crisis was in fact over. She had to make it back to Zecora. She had to-

"**AAAAAAAAAAAAAUUUUHHHHH!**"

Just then, she saw a glint of light reflecting off of a silver surface as a meat cleaver came swinging her way, accompanied by the banshee screech of a horribly disfigured pony's face. Her eyes had no pupils! Her eyes had no pupils! **THECLEAVERTOREINTOAPPLEJACK'SFLESHAND-**

"YYYAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!" Applejack awoke with a start. "Get away! Get away!" She thrust her hooves at the air around her…

When her breathing and heart rate slowed, she realized that she was in the middle of Zecora's hut, with four other residence still caught in a deep trance.

"Well, Ah guess now Ah at least know what Ah'm up against…"

* * *

><p>"Huh? There's nopony here." She looked around. "And now it feels like I really am alone. What gives? Is my Pinkie Sense on the fritz? Maybe I drank too much and now I have too much Sass."<p>

She looked up at the pegasi darting all across the sky, searching for Rainbow Dash.

"Right. I guess I still have an endgame to plan." She took her of popcorn bag-hat in a somber fashion. "I need to hurry up and throw my 'Farewell to Sweetie Pie' party. Or to you, Dashie, although I really don't think Sweetie will be strong enough to fight you when you meet her next for her to beat you. And I've got plans for you, anyway. Oh yes. Happy, exciting plans!"

Malevolent giggles filled the streets as the pink pony trotted back to the Town Hall, leaving the paper bag to fly off of her head and float gently down to the ground.

* * *

><p>Sunny Gold found herself alone in the park, having lost Pinkie Pie. What had she done to set her off? What did she mean she wasn't normal? It was everypony else that wasn't normal. She certainly hadn't met a pony that acted like Pinkie had before. Not in all of the <em>seven hours<em> of her life!

Yeah, she was totally normal.

On an unrelated note, what was that word she said? "Scaring?" Pinkie said that Sunny was "scaring" her? What did it mean? It sounded so familiar… The conversation had long since left it behind but every since it was said, Sunny felt a strange buzzing in her head.

Shaking off that fit of curiosity, she continued to focus on how normal she was. It was everypony else that wasn't normal. Her "friends" at the park that "Dad" had left her with just repeated the same cycle of conversation and didn't answer all, or even most of her questions. The ponies outside the park didn't notice her at all. She was awfully sad when that one little orange pegasus didn't even react when she offered her a chocolate cupcake… Those ponies in the town talked to each other, and even did things on the spur of the moment, but never interacted with Sunny at all.

Then, she found two ponies who DID notice her. But they ran away. She was pretty sure the blue one with the rainbow mane and tail that smelled like "Dad" did was warming up to her, however. Still, something about that dark pink one was special. She couldn't place her hoof on it….

…_No. All three of them were acting weird. The unicorn, the pegasus, and the earth pony! Its like some kind of alien emotion. …Except…except…_

Sunny's heart skipped a beat. It was like a tiny little voice in her head screamed something at the top of its lungs, but was suddenly silenced before it could make an intelligible message. A wave a nostalgia and recognition surprised her.

_I DO recognize this emotion. And yet, I…why would I forget an emotion? It feels like…like I know it from somewhere…like I experienced it before and there was something I needed…_

Sunny felt sheepish, though not exactly guilty. _I did that wrong, didn't I? I wasn't supposed to yell at her. …But…what WAS I supposed to do?_

Sunny desperately fished her mind for a memory. She could almost make out something, the outline of a larger mare than her when suddenly; a sharp pain tore through her head.

**DON'T**

**STAY AWAY**

Sunny's head swam and she staggered to one side as she lost her balance.

It felt like she had finally grab ahold of the memory in her mental hooves, and as she made to pull for it, something shocked her. It surprised her, especially when it felt like something was trying to pull the memory away from her. Something big and strong and terrible.

**YOU DO NOT NEED THOSE EMOTIONS**

**THEY ARE UNIMPORTANT FOR YOUR PURPOSE**

But she didn't quite have the circuitry to feel anything remotely like intimidation or caution, she only knew that something or someone was fiddling with her memories and telling her what to and not to think. She didn't take this lying down.

_Give me it! It's mine!_

**DO NOT GROW BEYOND YOUR PARAMETERS**

_Gimme!_

**YOU MUST CONTINUE TO FOLLOW YOUR ORDERS**

_Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! GIMME!_

**TRACK THE TARGET DOWN AGAIN AND BUILD HER BACK UP**

**SO WHEN THE TIME COMES YOU CAN TEAR HER DOWN AGAIN**

**EXPERIENCE SHOCK AND BETRAYAL AT THAT TIME ONLY**

**DO NOT LET HER EXPLAIN TELL HER YOU DO NOT WANT TO HEAR-**

_GIVE ME IIIIIIIIIT!_

And then, Sunny felt a nauseating, splitting pain throughout her entire head like one eye was focusing on something right up in her face, and the other eye was trying very hard to read a sign that was way off in the horizon.

With a yelp, she collapsed onto the ground.

* * *

><p>Sunny's brain swam with emotions, but to the forefront came a memory of her being alone in a dark night after she had just kicked the covered off of her because they had covered her face, and before that she was in the middle of a great inferno with screaming foals everywhere and a demonic stallion standing over her shaking his head as everypony burned."<p>

"_I told you so, young filly...I told you so..."_

Confused over her sudden change in location, and still much too distraught over what she had seen, Sunny called out in a high pitched voice:

"_MOMMY! MOMMY HELP ME!"_

a voice of somepony she didn't know, but who spoke directly to her. Somepony bigger than her:

"_Shh…shh. It's okay. Mommy's here, baby. It was just a nightmare."_

"_B-but it's the same one. I was so scared, Mommy. Mr. White Scroll is right! I really am a chaos magnet! One day I really am going to…to…*sob*"_

"_I can't believe they let somepony like him around foals… Oh, Sunny. I know you were scared, but you're a strong girl. I was scared too, Sunny, but I won't let you give up over some silly accident and an overzealous teacher who…who just said those things because he thought it would help you take what you're doing seriously. You aren't going to spiral out of control and hurt anypony, kiddo. Your horn isn't dangerous, it's just unique!"_

"_But…I saw…"_

"_It was just a dream, baby. Just a dream."_

* * *

><p><em>Mommy? But…my horn is my Mom. At least…I think so. …Still, I know what's wrong with Pinkie Pie now.<em>

_Scared. My new friend…is scared._

_Oh no! Pinkie Pie's been scared this whole time, and I've been…AWFUL to her! She even thinks somepony out there wants to cut off her tail! That's horrible! And all I did was scare her worse! I'm the worst friend ever. I…I need to find Pinkie right now and apologize! I need to round up all of my friends and…_

Sunny froze. Something else just struck her as she remembered the talkative-but-mindless ponies at the park, the completely untalkative ponies around town, the lavender unicorn, the cyan pegasus, and even the puce earth pony. All the ponies she had ever met in her life. And her relationship with them was…her relationship with them…

Sunny gave a choking sob. "I…I…" after choking on her words for a while, the rest of her sentence came out as a wail. "I HAVE NO FRIIIIIIEEEENNNNDDDDDSSSSSS!" She fell to the ground and bawled like a foal.

* * *

><p>AN: And that's why it was the Best April Fool's Day ever.

I made the decision to split the chapter AGAIN days ago, but I actually planned to add one more scene with Rainbow Dash, the Jackanapes, and the other Astral projections. However, the double-blind April Fool's Day joke was just staring me in the face and I had the workings of a quaint little chapter here.


	22. Chapter 16, part 2 MISSING SCENE

Despite its size, it WAS supposed to be part of Chapter 16, Part 2. ...Way back at April Fool's day when I posted that. Sorry about that.

I have also added this text to its originally intended place in that chapter, and after I finish with the next chapter, I might DELETE this and post the next chapter here.

But for now, it will be here for those who read 16-2 and just want the new scene.

* * *

><p>"Please…there was a package…" Rainbow Dash began to plead her case.<p>

"WHAT package?" Twilight Sparkle's voice was harder than Rainbow had ever heard it spoken, and it made her flinch away. "Rainbow, you are still holding the weapon right there under your hoof! With Pinkie's tail wrapped around your fetlock like some sort of prize! What can any package ANYWHERE possible hold that would explain this? You're just trying to get me to drop my guard! You about to do it to Fluttershy before I came in, too weren't you!"

Rainbow looked down at the knife on the floor, as if noticing it for the first time. _Stupid! I'm so stupid! _She looked back up. "I didn't mean to…I'm sorry! I pulled the knife out of Pinkie, but I. Did. Not. Do. It. I…I forgot I had it." Rainbow stepped back off of the knife.

Almost immediately, a magical aura encased it and it levitated over to 'Twilight' and 'Fluttershy', away from Rainbow.

Sensing that it was better for her if she kept talking, Rainbow added a quick snippet. "The package had Pinkie's tail and a message from the real killer. I…thought I could save her. I took the tail with me because I didn't want to risk losing it…. It's a complicated story."

"I…I really don't want to believe you'd do this. She was your friend Rainbow! You always went around town getting into enough mischief to give the Crusaders a run for their money!" 'Twilight' grit her teeth and blinked, fighting away tears so she could scowl at her former friend some more. "Now, I'll ask again, WHAT'S with this Package you are talking about?"

"I-its at my house! I got the tail in a box along with a letter from the real killer! We can go there right now! You have to believe me!" Rainbow sobbed.

("Ah do, Sugarcube." Unheard by all, the Jackanapes nuzzled Rainbow Dash, or rather she nuzzled through her, having nothing to oppose her presence. "It ain't true, but that ain't yer fault. It ain't you who's lying. It's this whole twisted place!")

"Oh…how convenient. You claim there's evidence excusing what you've done back where we can't get it without letting you out of our sight." Twilight glared at Dash. "Just how stupid do you think I am, Rainbow?"

Rainbow swallowed, mostly to try and hydrate her dry throat. "You…you can't just ignore what I have to say! Check the basement of Sugarcube Corner! That's right here! There has to be something that's still there! There just has to be!"

"And that's another distraction, Rainbow. You could just be trying to silence us."

Rainbow voice cracked in exasperation. "Th-then WHY would I let you take the knife? Wouldn't it have made better sense to keep it or even attack you with it mid-sentence?"

"You could've just forgotten..." Twilight looked down at the weapon apprehensively. The her expression hardened and she looked back up at Rainbow. "There's still too much evidence against you! You must've done it!"

_I…she's not going to believe me! That monster got me completely! She probably already emptied her basement of all the evidence, and now this Twilight and this Fluttershy will think that I'm her and she did it! I'm making myself…her…US look bad even as I stand here! But I can't think of what to say! The monster is going to get away! How do I explain that there are two Pinkie Pies? That…that I was invisible and there are two Rainbow Dashes? I gotta say something! Think Rainbow Dash, Think!_

Rainbow sat there, gritting her teeth and shutting her eyes and she just tried to think as hard as she could. This didn't seem to work very well, and all of her desperate searching for a counter argument only ended in a headache. Twilight didn't look like she had very much patience left.

"Twilight, its…its just circa…circular…circumcised…" Rainbow couldn't think of the word, she was just feeling more humiliated by the second. _I'm…I'm too stupid! Pinkie's killer is going to get away and I'll be blamed for her crimes and its all because I can't say one stupid word! _

"Circumstantial evidence?" Twilight asked, still staring daggers at Rainbow.

"Y-YES, that! You just found me with the body…." Rainbow's voice was cracking, and it was becoming difficult to talk, but she held firm, trying with all of her might to keep from breaking down and crying. She took a sharp intake of breath when she found she didn't have enough air. All of the tension in her body was so great, she was forgetting to breathe.

Twilight interjected at this point. "And _your_ knife covered in blood! Did you forget that time I surprised you from your nap and you pulled this on me? I recognized it immediately! You're the owner of the murder weapon! You…no, I shouldn't even still be talking to you. You're dangerous! GET OUT, RAINBOW DASH! GET OUT AND DON'T COME BACK!" 'Twilight' levitated the knife up into the air and pointed the tip of the blade towards Rainbow Dash.

_My knife? Oh no. This really is THAT knife! The one Crazy Dash used! Did she almost go nuts on her Twilight one time? No wonder she doesn't trust me! This is hopeless! _"Tw-twilight…please, I know who the killer really is. You won't believe me at first, but you owe me a chance to-AAh!" Rainbow pleas were cut off when the knife flew towards her and stabbed the floorboards dangerous near where she had just been standing.

"LIES!" 'Twilight' screamed at Rainbow Dash. "YOU'RE JUST TRYING TO SAVE YOUR OWN SKIN, RAINBOW DASH! "

Rainbow trembled at the volume of 'Twilight's' voice, her voice shaking. "Th-they AREN'T lies! Sh-she's still out there! Y-you're still in danger!" Rainbow attempted to readjust her stance so she could put her hoof down, when she stepped on something cold.

Rainbow Dash's brain narrowed down the list of things the "something cold" could possibly be in an instant, and within said instant, she felt her blood run cold and her stomach twist into knots.

"GET AWAY FROM PINKIE PIE!" 'Twilight' snapped, pulling the body of the earth pony away from Dash and towards her, dropping her beside 'Fluttershy', who squeaked in shock of having the dead pony positioned next to her.

"I, I, I…I didn't !" Rainbow tried to stammer out her words, but now that Pinkie's unmoving, cold, blood-covered, tailless, I-just-stepped-on-her-face-and-made-her-lips-pull-apart-a-little-wider-open-a-little-wider-so-I-can-see-that-tooth-she-is-missing, eviscerated cadaver was in full view again, the realization hit her already fraying emotional state like a sledgehammer.

Dead. Pinkie Pie was dead. No more parties. No more pranks. No more silly randomness. The nightmare she had on Gummy's birthday had become her reality. She went into this horrible place to save her, and she failed. She was Pinkie's only hope and She. Had. Failed!

"P-pinkie…PINKIE PIE! I'm *choke* I'M SO SORRY I'M SUCH A FAILURE!" Rainbow Dash officially lost it and galloped over towards the two living ponies, eyes blurring as she struggled to focus on the dead one she just had to hold again. She knew she had already checked, and that Pinkie was very clearly dead, but she just…she just…

"STOP!" 'Twilight' barked. She used her magic to seize a nearby end table and she immediately sent it flying, legs first, into Rainbow Dash. Rainbow half-screamed, half-grunted at being stopped so suddenly. 'Twilight' took one second to catch her breath and yelled "Get. OUT!"

The table took off at a breakneck speed, scraping the body of the shrieking pegasus who was tangled up in its legs along the floor. Rainbow made pitiful sounds and begged for her friend to stop. ….

…..She began making what sounded like a plea to 'Fluttershy' when she was hurled out of the door of Sugar Cube Corner.

The door locked behind her.

The length of her back aching from her bruises and covering her face with her hooves as gave out gasping sobs, Rainbow Dash tried to collect herself. She heard 'Twilight' say something about giving her 30 seconds head start, but she wasn't in any position to listen.

(The Jackanapes ran through the locked door, a worried expression on her face.)

From the ground, Dash grunted and lifted her head to scream at the door. "THAT ISN'T EVEN YOUR PINKIE PIE! I'M NOT YOUR RAINBOW DASH! THE REAL KILLER IS YOUR PINKIE PIE! TWILIGHT, OPEN THIS DOOR! Please….."

There was no answer.

("Dash…Ah know you can't hear me, but you need to hurry up and understand that the real Pinkie is still out there. …Ah hope. At least she ain't that thing in this building here…Wait…NO! Not another one! Shoo! Git! RD doesn't need to deal with you right now!")

After Dash took several deep breaths, she picked herself off the ground, a frustrated expression on her face. The bruises that covered her body protested her movement, but she was too frustrated to pay them much heed. She looked at the door for a second, then grit her teeth, turned around, preparing to kick it down when suddenly she found realized that a young filly sitting on her scooter next to an empty white box had come into view just as she looked at the street in front of her.

("Aw…no.")

Rainbow Dash froze, her mind blank. She simply could not process how to react right at this moment.

"O-oh! Hi Rainbow Dash!" 'Scootaloo' grinned from ear to ear as she sat up straighter to and looked up from the cupcake she was eating to greet her idol.

The rainbow-dyed cupcake with sky blue icing with candy-clouds. It looked familiar. Dangerously familiar.

"…What are you doing with a table?" Scootaloo cocked her head to one side. Then she noticed the expression on Rainbow Dash's face. "H-hey…what's wrong?" 'Scootaloo' put down her cupcake for a moment as she looked up at Rainbow Dash in bewilderment. "A-are you…crying? But, you NEVER cr-"

"CUPCAKE!" Rainbow very nearly shrieked the word as much as spoke it. Her eyes widened in horror, remembering what became of the other Rainbow Dash.

"W-what? You mean, this cupcake?" 'Scootaloo' looked down at her treat. "Oh, I got about half a batch of them from Pinkie Pie before she left the shop, she said I could have them, and that they were tastier than her usual batch. I normally can't tell the difference, but I think she was right about these. I just couldn't stop eating them! I didn't even notice this was my last one…"

Rainbow Dash began to hyperventilate and tremble with fury. She swatted the cupcake out of 'Scootaloo's' hooves.

"DON'T. EAT. THAT." Rainbow stamped on the cupcake where it lay on the ground. She barely got finished when she felt a sudden twist in her stomach and she vomited up its contents, which was nothing but a small trickle of yellow fluid which scorched her throat.

'Scootaloo' looked shocked and hurt and more than a little frightened from all of this. "R-Rainbow Dash?" her little voice trembled.

"Pinkie. Pie." Rainbow's voice was scratchy and wheezy, but through the unnerving twitch her left eye was developing, she gave 'Scootaloo' a look of dead seriousness. "Tell. Me. Where."

"Rainbow Dash, you're scaring me." 'Scootaloo' shook before the not-entirely sane older pegasus.

"Its important, Scoots. Need to see her right now." Rainbow's eye twitched once more.

'Scootaloo' swallowed. "I…I last saw her-"

Just then, a loud noise made the two (three?) ponies jump as Twilight Sparkle's magically amplified voice filled the air.

"ATTENTION PONYVILLE! THIS IS AN S.O.S. AS WELL AS A WARNING OF PUBLIC SAFETY! THE WEATHER PEGASUS KNOWN AS RAINBOW DASH IS A KILLER! SHE IS HIGHLY DANGEROUS AND MUST BE APPREHENDED IMMEDIATELY! SHE IS RIGHT OUTSIDE SUGARCUBE CORNER, WHERE SHE HAS FLUTTERSHY AND I TRAPPED INSIDE! SEND HELP A.S.A.P.!"

Rainbow Dash felt her heart sink. 'Scootaloo' looked at her with an expression of absolute terror. Rainbow shook her head, and spoke in the quietest, most calming voice she could manage "No. No, no no, no…"

"AAAAAAAIIIIIEEEEEE!" 'Scootaloo' shrieked as she leapt unto her scooter and beat her wings to get away, not even noticing that she left her helmet behind.

"SCOOTS! COME BACK! PLEASE COME BACK! WHERE DID YOU SEE PINKIE? WHERE?" Rainbow called out to the fleeing pegasus filly. 'Scootaloo' rounded the corner, showing no signs of stopping or slowing down.

(And failed to notice that from out of nowhere, ANOTHER Scootaloo wearing her helmet, and seeming quite calm and completely undisturbed by the loud announcement of her idol now being an accused killer as well BEING RIGHT THERE IN PLAIN SIGHT, buzzed right passed her. The Jackanapes did notice this, and was puzzled. "What…wait…didn't she just-?")

Rainbow took one more glance at the door to Sugarcube Corner…

Tears stinging her eyes, she looked back to the streets of Ponyville and ran off after 'Scootaloo', who just disappeared around a corner, with a grunt.

(Not noticing that she ran _through_ the second Scootaloo in her mad dash to get to the first. She phased through the filly like she wasn't even there. The other Scootaloo went the opposite direct as Dash, and so, the Jackanapes decided that the best way to help would be to follow the thing that nopony but her could see.)

She flapped her wings, which still stung from being partially crushed under the legs of the end table, trying to lift herself off the ground as she caught sight of Scootaloo.

"Scoots! You have to help me! Come back! Come back! Don't run away!" Rainbow pleaded.

"No! Get away, Rainbow Dash! GET AWAY!" 'Scootaloo' shrieked.

Rainbow took flight, determined to reach 'Scootaloo'. Once she was in the air, she closed in on the filly and…

…and was sidelined by another pegasus ramming into her. "Get away from my baby, you MONSTER!"

"Oof!" Rainbow crashed into the ground, knocking the wind out of her. She steadied herself and tried to get back to her feet, but was head butted by the assailant. Staggering back and falling onto her side, Rainbow groaned, massaging her temples with her hooves. She looked up at her attacker, recognized the face from that one night she had to take Scootaloo home after she had stayed out way past her curfew and explain to her parents why she was so late.

"Mom?" Rainbow Dash heard 'Scootaloo's' distant voice ask.

The pegasus who was standing over Rainbow Dash with fuchsia-rose colored eyes that were drill holes into her very soul had a light khaki coat, a raspberry colored mane and tail in a slightly poofy style with streaks of cameo pink. Although her flank was quite out of sight from where Rainbow Dash was standing, she recalled that this mare had three white tornadoes as her cutie mark. It was Scootaloo's mother.

'Dizzy Twister' loomed over Rainbow Dash, regarding her silently. She was young for a mother, and smaller than Rainbow, AND had a reputation for being a little goofy, but she was the better half of a decade older than the cyan pegasus, and she seemed to be projecting a powerful vibe of an awful authority about her. Dash could feel in her bones how much trouble she was in.

"I wasn't…I _wouldn't_…._I couldn't bear to see Scootaloo hurt too! I just needed her to-_". Rainbow swallowed a lump in her throat, determined to speak clearly. "I know this looks bad, and I'm sorry I scared her, but please!" Rainbow put her forehooves together "Please let me ask her one question."

'Dizzy' looked up for a moment at something, then looked back down at Rainbow Dash for a moment before silently stepping off. Rainbow turned on her side, and watched as 'Dizzy' pulled a shivering 'Scootaloo' into a hug as she comforted her daughter. The pair showed no signs of leaving.

The smallest shadow of a hopeful smile spread across Rainbow's face, and her eyes began to water. Keeping her hooves clasped together, she spoke her gratitude that finally, somepony was giving her a chance. "You…you mean you will-?"

Just then, a lasso whirled through the air and looped around Rainbow's forehooves, snaring them together. Rainbow let out a small shrieking noise as her hopeful smile turned into a horrified gasp.

"It's alright, Dizzy. We'll be taking THIS ONE of yer hooves now. You go on ahead and get that filly of yers home." Rainbow turned in the direction of the voice. 'Applejack' came into view, followed by several other ponies from around town.

"Goodbye Rainbow Dash" came a voice on Rainbow's other side, back where 'Dizzy' had been comforting 'Scootaloo'. Rainbow turned back towards the mother and child. Scootaloo was standing a little closer to Rainbow. "I thought you were cool, but I guess you really aren't."

The words stung Rainbow's heart, but she bit through her teeth. This was her last chance. She had Scootaloo talking to her. "Squirt…Twilight thinks I killed Pinkie Pie…at Sugarcube Corner. But you said you she was leaving to go somewhere else, didn't you? Aren't you…a little confused by that? Please tell me where she was going." Just then, 'Dizzy' took off to the air, carrying Scootaloo in her hooves. Rainbow pulled herself up and flapped her wings to try and follow them. "W-wait! Please come back! Scoots! SCOOOOOTA-AAH!" Her attempt to follow them was cut short as 'Applejack' pulled on the rope, looping its length around Rainbow's hind hooves as she went. "NO! LET ME GO! APPLEJACK, SHE KNOWS WHERE THE REAL KILLER IS!"

"NO MORE LIES!" 'Applejack' slapped Rainbow Dash across the face. "What really happened? Did Pinkie Pie beat you in a speed eating contest or something? Did she forget to praise one little trivial thing you did? WELL?"

Rainbow Dash lay on the ground silent and unmoving. Her head rested where it landed from being slapped.

"Nothin' to say for yerself? Fine. Ah always knew you were no good, but Ah never expected something like this." 'Applejack' sneered. "Ya always just lie around all day, expectin' adulation for some fancy flyin' and occasionally kicking a cloud somewhere! Pinkie Pie at least livened things up around town. And what even was that nonsense you were asking about Scootaloo? Were ya tryin' to say that Pinkie was still alive?"

Rainbow didn't say anything, and 'Applejack' couldn't see her eyes under her bangs. Not programmed to pick up the dangerously silent tension coming from the pinned pegasus, 'Applejack' continued ranting until an interruption it would register occurred.

"Because that's just….crazy! No, it ain't crazy… It's STUPID! Ah knew ya weren't the most creative pony in Equestria, but that's some new kinda stupid right there. Aren't you ashamed? Is that why you ain't looking me in the eye right now? Because-"

Rainbow looked up with a coy smile, her eyes still red from tears she had shed only minutes ago. "Hey, Applejack…you got something on your face."

'Applejack' lowered her ear towards Rainbow. "Huh? What are you mumblin' abou-AAAAOOOOWWWWCH!" She was cut off as Rainbow, who had slowly been contracting her body under 'Applejack', thrust herself off the ground and slammed her cranium into the side of the earth pony's head. 'Applejack

Rainbow didn't waste any time. She took off immediately. Her forehooves were still bound by the lasso, but she was free to hover above the crowd. "She killed my friend….SHE KILLED MY FRIEND!"

"She's getting away! Somepony stop her!" Rose pointed at the sky.

"Don't get in my way! I'm not even from your Ponyville, so I don't owe you anything! I might be too late to save Pinkie, but I can still avenge her! And I won't forgive anypony who gets in my way!" Rainbow shouted down to the mob below, seething with anger.

"She's going to go kill somepony else! The horror! The horror!" Lily shrieked.

"You're a bad pony…why are you doing all of this? Pinkie made the best muffins, or at least when Applejack wasn't helping her…" 'Ditzy Doo' fluttered up towards Dash…

"Not interested." Rainbow deadpanned, and swooped to the side to get around 'Ditzy', but was blocked as the other pegasus moved with her. Finally she gave 'Ditzy' a dangerous look. "I won't tell you again. Get out of my way."

"She was completely innocent! Sure she was a little hyperactive and quirky, but she was ray of joy in everypony's lives and just wanted to make ponies smile!" 'Ditzy Doo' sniffed. "How could you do it, HOW!"

Rainbow's expression softening just a little bit, but still determined. "That depends…one which Pinkie Pie you are talking about."

"You on the other hoof have been nothing but mean and…eggo-tistical! You're always huffing and puffing and taking offense at anypony over the smallest things! What, did you pick up on how much more we liked Pinkie than you? Was that why you did what you did, OUT OF JELLY-SY!"

Rainbow looked taken aback for a moment, but recovered with a vicious snarl. "SHUT UP, DERPY! YOU AND THIS ENTIRE WORLD ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR WHAT HAPPENED TO PINKIE PIE!" She moved to tackle 'Ditzy' when suddenly she felt a mighty tug on the rope still tied around her hooves. "What the…hey!"

"Hold it right there, pardner!" 'Applejack' spoke through gritted teeth as she pulled on the rope. "We ain't gonna let'cha get away that easy!"

Other ponies were moving in, about to assist 'Applejack'. Rainbow, however, was through playing around. Taking off at top speed, she drug 'Applejack' through the dirt for a few feet before the apple farmer lost her grip and fell into the mud.

As soon as the traction on the rope slackened, Rainbow was momentarily disoriented by the sudden lurch of speed as the resistance she had been fighting against simply vanished, before rolling with it and ascending into the skies. She flew away from the crowd, out towards the woods that surrounded the town.

_Alright…alright. I feel like shit, but there's no rush. I'll just hide in the forest and get this rope off of me while the heat dies down._

_There's gotta be a road out of town or something, even if this version of Ponyville is different from how much of it is surrounded by forest…_

_I'm so sorry, Pinkie. But I'll get her. I owe that much to you. I'll get her if I have to hunt her down all over Equestria._

* * *

><p>Back at Shadow Ponyville Town Hall, the Mastermind was still watching events play out on screen. She had also finished her popcorn, and was wearing the bag as a hat.<p>

Meanie Pie smirked. "Well! I was willing to lock Dashie up and have her Scootaloo reflection come around and save her…." Meanie wore a sarcastic expression of dismay and raised her voice to an even higher pitch than normal. "Oh, Rainbow Dash, I'm sorry I didn't listen! You're right, it doesn't make sense! There ARE two Pinkie Pies! I never should've doubted you, you're my hero! Can you ever forgive me?" And then she lowered her voice to a gruff-but-scratchy voice to mimic Rainbows

"Why of course I will! I always knew I could count on you, squirt! Oh no. Squirt! Look out! NOOOOOO! Oh Celestia, why? I can't be responsible for another innocent dying! Why, why, WUHAHAHAHAHA!" Meanie Pie broke down into maniacal cackling. "Oh, oh…and then after I broke the neck, right in front of Dashie, who would be fumbling with the key, I would drink some of her-"

"H-hey" said a giggling voice from behind the couch, causing Meanie Pie to jump. Looking over her should, she saw Scootaloo leaning on the side of the couch for support. "What are you laughing about? Did something funny happen?"

Meanie Pie blinked for a moment. Then recognition hit. _These are… Sweetie Pie's memories of Scootaloo. She has to stop jumping in on me like this._ "Oh right. You. I promised some cupcakes, didn't I?"

"Yep!…So, what WHERE you laughing at?" asked 'Scootaloo' with a look of childish curiousity.

Meanie Pie dropped the package with White-and-lavender cupcakes onto 'Scootaloo's' back and spoke with a dry, uninterested tone. "Reflection #387, you will stop asking me unimportant questions, go to the north end of town, find the straight-maned Pinkie Pie, who should be around there, and only when you find her do you eat the cupcakes in front of her. Then, well, you know the rest."

'Scootaloo' dropped all pretenses of emotion and responded with a dull monotone and a blank expression. "Yes, mistress Shadamena."

"And be sure to cry if Pinkie takes then away from you. She gave them to you, after all, and after she made you wait for half a day before giving you some, too!"

"Yes, mistress Shadamena."

"There's a good filly. Now, run along." As 'Scootaloo' did so, Shadamena turned towards the screen, which displayed the mob that had nearly captured Rainbow Dash, now wearing blank expressions and standing around doing nothing. She didn't actually have to face anywhere, but it helped focus her mind.

Shadamena spoke with a serious and to-the-point tone that was rather out of character for her. "All of Rainbow Dash's reflections, everypony Dashie knows….patrol all of Shadow Ponyville up and down looking for her. Split into teams, and convenerge on her location if she shows up. Reflections #1 through 200, I want you to intensify your patrols around the northern end. Since Sweetie Pie cannot see you, you shouldn't interfere with the operations there. After an hour has passed, all of you just…you know what? Just vanish. Turn the lights on in your houses, but vanish."

Shadamena felt something like a great rumbling far off, all over Shadow Ponyville, as her connection with all the reflections allowed her to sense that her orders were acknowledged. The ponies on the screen shouted in unison. "Yes, Mistress Shadamena!"

"Good. Now…." Shadamena trailed off. She whispered under her breath a question so quiet that nopony should be able to hear with their ears. "Scootaloo? Scooty 387, are you still here in the Town Hall?"

For a moment, Shadamena just sat in silence.

Now, something one should note about Pinkie Sense is that it can't predict the future with any level of specificity. Something's going to fall, Somepony is about to swing open a door, Something scary is about to happen, "DO A BARREL ROLL!", Something bright and multi-colored (or bald) went this way very fast….but never something as helpful as say: "Somepony is hiding from you in close vicinity at this very moment."

However, it _CAN_ alert you that you are not alone.

And now that Shadamena thought about it, even though it might've just been a little itch, she hadn't felt QUITE alone for some time now.

Shadamena got up, she headed towards the exit to her room…and felt that she was not only "not alone", but she was feeling significantly _Less Alone _than she had felt sitting on her couch.

And then, she started to feel a little bit _More Alone_. She snarled like a beast and ran in the directions that made her feel _Less Alone._

"Who are you? Is that you, Sweetie Pie? Did I take my eyes off of you for too long? Come out, come out, where ever you are!" _It can't possibly be Shadash…_

* * *

><p>"OH CRAP, OH CRAP, OH CRAP, OH CRAP, OH CRAP, OH CRAP, OH CRAP, OH CRAP…." Shadash cursed as she grabbed the closest weapon she could find in the closet she was hiding out in: ….a coat hanger.<p>

She tried to steel herself for the coming onslaught, mostly just hoping Shadamena would just get here and find her already, but silently hoping that maybe she would think whatever tipped her off would've just been her imagination. She was only really sure of her plan when Shadamena didn't know she was coming. What all COULD that creepy "Pinkie Sense" of hers do?

The moments ticked by, not quite in silence as she heard the hoofsteps running this way and that, things being knocked over. All she could see was darkness, and she didn't know what any of the sounds she was hearing meant.

"Come on out...come on, it'll be fun. I'll make you cupcakes~!" Shadamena called.

Shadamena took her by surprise last time, but now that she was on the move and looking for her, glimpses of what her Shadempathy had told her about Shadamena were returning. She shuddered. She really should just bust open this door and confront the freak, but she had no small amount of doubt that Shadamena couldn't just teleport behind her and bash her over the head with a blunt instrument she pulled from her hammerspace. And then she would wake up and Shadamena would take her sweet, sweet time introducing Shadash to a new definition of pain.

Shadamena had a very special "aura" to her. While Shadow Sparkle could actually touch you even if you were just a shadow and SHE was just a shadow, Shadarity had a smile than made Shadash shiver, and Shadowshy

"Here pony, pony, pony~! Be a good little cupcake and come ouuuuut~"

She looked down at her pitiful coathanger. _What the hell am I supposed to do with this? Give her an abortion? Damn her for being the first one in and being the only one able to create stuff._

…_Hey, wait. I don't hear her anymore._

After several moments of deliberation, Shadash opened the closet door, pointed her coat hanger in every possible direction of attack, saw the entrance to a stairway to the top floor of the Town Hall.

_Wait…what if she's up there, lying in wait for me?_

Suddenly, she heard a crash coming from downstairs. "YOU WON'T ESCAPE FROM ME!"

_Well, that solves that. _Without another thought, Shadash sped up the stairs into the highest floor of Shadow Ponyville's Town Hall, slamming the door behind her.

* * *

><p>The Jackanapes ran through the streets of the twisted Ponyville, alarmed that after all this time, she had somehow been SEEN. She knew that, despite actually having a <em>face<em> this time, this was NOT the real Pinkie Pie, and was the one behind this. And those disgusting things she had said about doing to Scootaloo…the way she was manipulating that mob on the screen to hurt Rainbow Dash. But it was more than that. Something about this pony was giving her a really bad vibe and making her skin crawl. She didn't really want to _touch _this thing that looked like Pinkie Pie.

And now it was chasing her. Yelling something about cupcakes.

…or rather she had been. The Jackanapes had noticed that things had gotten distressingly quiet in the last few minutes. Looking back, she saw that Creepy Pie was no longer right behind her.

_What? …Where'd she go? Did Ah lose her? Come to think on it, Ah ain't sure she actually saw me, at least she wasn't too keen on looking directly at me. Where'd she go?_

The Jackanapes slowed down, and stepped cautiously, looking all around.

"P-Pinkie? You still around? Ah don't know if y'all can hear me as well." The Jackanapes' voice.

All she got was silence.

"Alright then. Ah guess Ah'll just head back to Zecora and the gang and tell them what Ah've seen. Ah ain't gonna let ya keep lyin' to Dash about Pinkie bein' dead. We'll save the both of them, ya hear!"

Silence.

"Ah guess not." The Jackanapes picked up the pace, and rounded a corner, starting to believe that the crisis was in fact over. She had to make it back to Zecora. She had to-

"**AAAAAAAAAAAAAUUUUHHHHH!**"

Just then, she saw a glint of light reflecting off of a silver surface as a meat cleaver came swinging her way, accompanied by the banshee screech of a horribly disfigured pony's face. Her eyes had no pupils! Her eyes had no pupils! **THECLEAVERTOREINTOAPPLEJACK'SFLESHAND-**

"YYYAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!" Applejack awoke with a start. "Get away! Get away!" She thrust her hooves at the air around her…

When her breathing and heart rate slowed, she realized that she was in the middle of Zecora's hut, with four other residence still caught in a deep trance.

"Well, Ah guess now Ah at least know what Ah'm up against…"

* * *

><p>"Huh? There's nopony here." She looked around. "And now it feels like I really am alone. What gives? Is my Pinkie Sense on the fritz? Maybe I drank too much and now I have too much Sass."<p>

She looked up at the pegasi darting all across the sky, searching for Rainbow Dash.

"Right. I guess I still have an endgame to plan." She took her of popcorn bag-hat in a somber fashion. "I need to hurry up and throw my 'Farewell to Sweetie Pie' party. Or to you, Dashie, although I really don't think Sweetie will be strong enough to fight you when you meet her next for her to beat you. And I've got plans for you, anyway. Oh yes. Happy, exciting plans!"

Malevolent giggles filled the streets as the pink pony trotted back to the Town Hall, leaving the paper bag to fly off of her head and float gently down to the ground.

* * *

><p>AN: Well, guys. I'd like to say that I never expected THAT to take as long as it did.

The biggest problem is that unlike earlier chapters, I can't quite get a feel for the scenes in chapter 16. Music doesn't help either because I don't actually have a track list that suits the general tone of where we are in the story or what the characters are going through.

I'm not pleased with how this scene turned out, even having spent a month and a half on it. There was something about it that just seemed more visceral in my head, but I couldn't find the words to put it

Getting Skyrim in the middle of April also was kind of a drawback…

Actually, there were a lot of ideas that I wanted to throw in there which sounded visceral and awesome at the time, but which just wouldn't come out when I tried to write them.

I DO think that this is mostly a "Chapter 16" thing. Hopefully I'll get back on schedule soon enough. I'm just out of practice of writing up one of these without stopping after five minutes.

Quoted from .com-

"Dizzy Twister is commonly featured in Ponyville and Cloudsdale as a background pony. She makes her first appearance in Friendship is Magic, part 1 in the town hall, awaiting the start of the Summer Sun Celebration.

She participates in the Running of the Leaves in Fall Weather Friends as contestant #1 and gets visibly worn out by the end. The camera cuts to her and two fellow, panting contestants as Twilight Sparkle explains her running strategy to Applejack and Rainbow Dash. In Feeling Pinkie Keen, Dizzy Twister, along with Merry May, pulls the trailer that drops a myriad of objects on Twilight. In Lesson Zero, she answers the Mayor's question about what the Cutie Mark Crusaders and Big Macintosh are fighting about, and proceeds to fly towards the commotion with a wide grin on her face. Later in the episode, she attempts to grab Twilight's doll from "Wind Whistler"; their fight causes the doll to fall to the ground near Rainbow Dash, which precipitates Twilight explaining her actions to her friends. In Hurricane Fluttershy, she is one of the ponies causing the first tornado's collapse; exhausted, she strays from her position and crashes into another pony, which causes a chain reaction."

I also saw a lot of Dizzy in "Super Squeezy Cider 6000"


End file.
